O foco desta tese é a descrição e validação de uma arquitetura de interface para processamento de sinais analógicos para SOC de sinais mistos. A abordagem proposta apresenta a possibilidade de cobertura de uma larga faixa de freqüências com performance praticamente constante associada a uma estrutura digital de programação. A premissa é usar uma célula analógica fixa e promover a configuração da aplicação no domínio digital, levando a uma arquitetura de interface de sinais mistos. O emprego de um bloco analógico fixo busca eliminar a perda inerente de performance decorrente da própria estrutura de programação em circuitos reconfiguráveis analógicos. A emprego da programação no domínio digital abre espaço para usos da vasta gama de ferramentas disponíveis para o projeto em alto nível de abstração, simulação e síntese automática para implementar a aplicação alvo com excelente predição do desempenho final. A abordagem proposta baseia-se no conceito de translação em freqüência (mixagem) do sinal de entrada seguida pela sua conversão para o domínio ΣΔ. A estrutura de processamento possibilita o emprego de um bloco analógico constante, e também, um processamento uniforme de sinais de entrada indo de DC até altas freqüências. A aplicação é configurada no domínio ΣΔ onde a performance pode ser predita de acordo com as especificações alvo. Objetivando a exploração do espaço de projeto foi desenvolvido o modelo de performance teórico e de simulação. Os modelos desenvolvidos auxiliam no também no projeto físico da interface proposta. Objetivando, tanto a validação dos modelos propostos, bem como o desenvolvimento de aplicações, foram construídos dois protótipos. São apresentados os usos da interface como um ADC paramétrico multi-banda e como um multiplicador e um somador de sinais analógicos. É proposta também uma arquitetura para uma interface analógica multi-canal. Os resultados experimentais empregados para a caracterização da interface proposta suportam as vantagens da mesma. / The focus of this thesis is to discuss the development and modeling of an interface architecture to be employed for interfacing analog signals in mixed-signal SOC. We claim that the approach that is going to be presented is able to achieve wide frequency range, and covers a large range of applications with constant performance, allied to digital configuration compatibility. Our primary assumptions are to use a fixed analog block and to promote application configurability in the digital domain, which leads to a mixed-signal interface. The use of a fixed analog block avoids the performance loss common to configurable analog blocks. The usage of configurability on the digital domain makes possible the use of all existing tools for high level design, simulation and synthesis to implement the target application, with very good performance prediction. The proposed approach utilizes the concept of frequency translation (mixing) of the input signal followed by its conversion to the ΣΔ domain, which makes possible the use of a fairly constant analog block, and also, a uniform treatment of input signal from DC to high frequencies. The programmability is performed in the ΣΔ digital domain where performance can be closely achieved according to application specification. The interface performance theoretical and simulation model are developed for design space exploration and for physical design support. Two prototypes are built and characterized to validate the proposed model and to implement some application examples. The usage of this interface as a multi-band parametric ADC and as a two channels analog multiplier and adder are shown. The multi-channel analog interface architecture is also presented. The characterization measurements support the main advantages of the approach proposed.

Prostate cancer increases its incidence with age after men in their fifth decade as the ratio of estrogen to androgen rises. Epidemiological studies indicated that high levels of estrogens are associated with the high-risk ethnic groups for prostate cancer. Therefore, estrogens may be involved in prostatic carcinogenesis. It is widely believed that the actions of estrogens are mediated by estrogen receptors. However, expression of estrogen receptor in normal prostate and lesions of the gland was controversial. With the recent discovery of second estrogen receptor (ER-β), this issue became more complicated and it needs to be readdressed. In addition, the biological involvement of ER-β in human prostate remains to be investigated. In this study, we demonstrated that human normal prostate epithelial cells express ER-β but not ER-α, suggesting that estrogens act directly on these epithelial cells via ER-β. Using RT-PCR analysis, the transcripts of ER-β were detected in our primary human prostatic epithelial cell cultures that were derived from the ultrasound-guided peripheral zone biopsies and the cells express two estrogen-regulated genes such as progesterone receptor (PR) and pS2. Moreover, we had developed an ER-β antibody with fully characterizations and used it for immunohistochemistry. Results indicated that ER-p protein is expressed in the basal compartment of prostatic epithelium of the gland. Our findings lead to a new hypothesis that estrogens directly act on human prostatic epithelial cells to modulate its biological functions. To investigate expression of ERs in prostate cancer, RT-PCR analysis was used. We found that all three human prostate metastatic cancer cell lines, DU145, PC-3 and LNCaP, express ER-β transcripts while ER-α mRNA expression only in PC-3 cells. Expressions of PR and pS2 in these cell lines are various. LNCaP cells express both PR and pS2 mRNAs but DU145 cells with only PR and PC-3 cells with only pS2. Our immunohistochemical results on prostatic lesions revealed down-regulation of ER-β expression in high-grade of dysplasia and carcinoma of peripheral zone of the prostate compared to their low-grade lesions. This down-regulation in high-grade carcinoma was verified in transcriptional level by RT-PCR analysis on micro dissected normal epithelium and lesion samples of the gland. In the metastasis, ER-β was found to be reactivated as we observed ER-β mRNA expression in prostate cancer cell lines. Recent evidence suggests that ER-β may be antiproliferative factor for a protective effect against the mitogenic activity of estrogens in breast and androgens in prostate. Activation of the receptor may exhibit cell growth inhibition. We demonstrated that antiestrogens [ICI-182,780 (ICI) and 4-hydroxytamoxifen], raloxifene and phytoestrogen (resveratrol), but not estrogens (17β-estradiol and diethylstilbestrol), inhibit growth of DU145 cells which express only ER-β while PC-3 cells with both ERs showed growth inhibition in response to estrogen and antiestrogen treatments. In DU145 cells, the ICI-induced cell growth inhibition was prevented by blockade of ER-β expression using antisense oligonucleotide. It indicated that the inhibition is mediated via ER-p associated pathway. Using flow cytometry, we found that ICI-treatment could induce accumulation of cells at GO-G1 phase of cell cycle. Similarly, this GO-G1 cell accumulation was also induced by raloxifene in DU145 cells. For resveratrol, the treatment exhibited dual effects on cell cycle distribution in DU145 cells. In the early treatment, resveratrol induced cell cycle arrests at GO-G1phase. The prolonged treatment leads to S-phase cell cycle arrest. To study the molecular mechanism of this ER-p associated cell growth inhibition, real-time RT-PCR analysis was used to semi-quantitate the transcript levels of tentative ER-β regulated genes such as telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), survivin and thymidylate synthase (TS) in the treated cells compared to those in control. Results demonstrated that the treatment of ICI could down-regulate TERT and survivin mRNA expressions with dose-dependent fashion. As the ICI-treatment, resveratrol downregulated expression levels of TERT, survivin and TS in DU145 cells. Down-regulation of TS may be related to the S-phase cell cycle arrest observed in the prolonged treatment of resveratrol. Taken together, our findings support the concept that ER-β participates in cell cycle regulation in normal and malignant prostatic epithelial cells. Presence of ER-β in basal cells of the prostate acini indicates that the direct actions of estrogens may be involved in the normal physiology of the gland. Loss of this receptor in primary prostate cancer and its re-expression in metastasis suggests the roles of ER-β in the cancer progression. Activation of the receptor by antiestrogen and phytoestrogen induced cell growth inhibition in prostate cancer cells. The mechanism may be mediated by reduction of cell survival factors and eventually decrease in cell viability and induction of cell cycle arrests.

O foco desta tese é a descrição e validação de uma arquitetura de interface para processamento de sinais analógicos para SOC de sinais mistos. A abordagem proposta apresenta a possibilidade de cobertura de uma larga faixa de freqüências com performance praticamente constante associada a uma estrutura digital de programação. A premissa é usar uma célula analógica fixa e promover a configuração da aplicação no domínio digital, levando a uma arquitetura de interface de sinais mistos. O emprego de um bloco analógico fixo busca eliminar a perda inerente de performance decorrente da própria estrutura de programação em circuitos reconfiguráveis analógicos. A emprego da programação no domínio digital abre espaço para usos da vasta gama de ferramentas disponíveis para o projeto em alto nível de abstração, simulação e síntese automática para implementar a aplicação alvo com excelente predição do desempenho final. A abordagem proposta baseia-se no conceito de translação em freqüência (mixagem) do sinal de entrada seguida pela sua conversão para o domínio ΣΔ. A estrutura de processamento possibilita o emprego de um bloco analógico constante, e também, um processamento uniforme de sinais de entrada indo de DC até altas freqüências. A aplicação é configurada no domínio ΣΔ onde a performance pode ser predita de acordo com as especificações alvo. Objetivando a exploração do espaço de projeto foi desenvolvido o modelo de performance teórico e de simulação. Os modelos desenvolvidos auxiliam no também no projeto físico da interface proposta. Objetivando, tanto a validação dos modelos propostos, bem como o desenvolvimento de aplicações, foram construídos dois protótipos. São apresentados os usos da interface como um ADC paramétrico multi-banda e como um multiplicador e um somador de sinais analógicos. É proposta também uma arquitetura para uma interface analógica multi-canal. Os resultados experimentais empregados para a caracterização da interface proposta suportam as vantagens da mesma. / The focus of this thesis is to discuss the development and modeling of an interface architecture to be employed for interfacing analog signals in mixed-signal SOC. We claim that the approach that is going to be presented is able to achieve wide frequency range, and covers a large range of applications with constant performance, allied to digital configuration compatibility. Our primary assumptions are to use a fixed analog block and to promote application configurability in the digital domain, which leads to a mixed-signal interface. The use of a fixed analog block avoids the performance loss common to configurable analog blocks. The usage of configurability on the digital domain makes possible the use of all existing tools for high level design, simulation and synthesis to implement the target application, with very good performance prediction. The proposed approach utilizes the concept of frequency translation (mixing) of the input signal followed by its conversion to the ΣΔ domain, which makes possible the use of a fairly constant analog block, and also, a uniform treatment of input signal from DC to high frequencies. The programmability is performed in the ΣΔ digital domain where performance can be closely achieved according to application specification. The interface performance theoretical and simulation model are developed for design space exploration and for physical design support. Two prototypes are built and characterized to validate the proposed model and to implement some application examples. The usage of this interface as a multi-band parametric ADC and as a two channels analog multiplier and adder are shown. The multi-channel analog interface architecture is also presented. The characterization measurements support the main advantages of the approach proposed.

O foco desta tese é a descrição e validação de uma arquitetura de interface para processamento de sinais analógicos para SOC de sinais mistos. A abordagem proposta apresenta a possibilidade de cobertura de uma larga faixa de freqüências com performance praticamente constante associada a uma estrutura digital de programação. A premissa é usar uma célula analógica fixa e promover a configuração da aplicação no domínio digital, levando a uma arquitetura de interface de sinais mistos. O emprego de um bloco analógico fixo busca eliminar a perda inerente de performance decorrente da própria estrutura de programação em circuitos reconfiguráveis analógicos. A emprego da programação no domínio digital abre espaço para usos da vasta gama de ferramentas disponíveis para o projeto em alto nível de abstração, simulação e síntese automática para implementar a aplicação alvo com excelente predição do desempenho final. A abordagem proposta baseia-se no conceito de translação em freqüência (mixagem) do sinal de entrada seguida pela sua conversão para o domínio ΣΔ. A estrutura de processamento possibilita o emprego de um bloco analógico constante, e também, um processamento uniforme de sinais de entrada indo de DC até altas freqüências. A aplicação é configurada no domínio ΣΔ onde a performance pode ser predita de acordo com as especificações alvo. Objetivando a exploração do espaço de projeto foi desenvolvido o modelo de performance teórico e de simulação. Os modelos desenvolvidos auxiliam no também no projeto físico da interface proposta. Objetivando, tanto a validação dos modelos propostos, bem como o desenvolvimento de aplicações, foram construídos dois protótipos. São apresentados os usos da interface como um ADC paramétrico multi-banda e como um multiplicador e um somador de sinais analógicos. É proposta também uma arquitetura para uma interface analógica multi-canal. Os resultados experimentais empregados para a caracterização da interface proposta suportam as vantagens da mesma. / The focus of this thesis is to discuss the development and modeling of an interface architecture to be employed for interfacing analog signals in mixed-signal SOC. We claim that the approach that is going to be presented is able to achieve wide frequency range, and covers a large range of applications with constant performance, allied to digital configuration compatibility. Our primary assumptions are to use a fixed analog block and to promote application configurability in the digital domain, which leads to a mixed-signal interface. The use of a fixed analog block avoids the performance loss common to configurable analog blocks. The usage of configurability on the digital domain makes possible the use of all existing tools for high level design, simulation and synthesis to implement the target application, with very good performance prediction. The proposed approach utilizes the concept of frequency translation (mixing) of the input signal followed by its conversion to the ΣΔ domain, which makes possible the use of a fairly constant analog block, and also, a uniform treatment of input signal from DC to high frequencies. The programmability is performed in the ΣΔ digital domain where performance can be closely achieved according to application specification. The interface performance theoretical and simulation model are developed for design space exploration and for physical design support. Two prototypes are built and characterized to validate the proposed model and to implement some application examples. The usage of this interface as a multi-band parametric ADC and as a two channels analog multiplier and adder are shown. The multi-channel analog interface architecture is also presented. The characterization measurements support the main advantages of the approach proposed.

Orientador: Elnatan Chagas Ferreira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T16:12:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernandes_AlecioPontes_M.pdf: 6269465 bytes, checksum: 0d2b04f6049ffb1685b947932894c75d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Giroscópios são dispositivos usados para medir rotação angular, sendo extensivamente empregados em sistemas de guiamento, navegação e estabilização. Entre os diversos tipos de giroscópios, o IFOG (Giroscópio Interferométrico a Fibra Óptica) baseado no efeito de Sagnac é uma das soluções mais interessante, dada sua alta sensibilidade, resolução, ausência de partes móveis, confiabilidade, tamanho compacto e imunidade a interferências eletromagnéticas. Este trabalho descreve a implementação de um circuito digital de demodulação para IFOGs operando em malha aberta utilizando a técnica de zero-crossing (cruzamento em zero). A técnica implementada no circuito eletrônico descrito neste trabalho emprega um clock quase-síncrono para processamento, o que leva a um esquema de demodulação digital preciso, simples e de baixo custo. O circuito de demodulação proposto foi testado em laboratório, utilizando um sinal de giroscópio emulado. Os resultados experimentais medidos no protótipo mostraram que a resolução final do circuito de detecção é 1000 vezes melhor que a resolução possível de se alcançar em um demodulador zero-crossing digital convencional com clock síncrono / Abstract: Gyroscopes are devices used to measure angular orientation, being extensively employed for guidance, navigation and stabilization. Among the many types of gyroscopes, IFOG (Interferometer Fiber Optic Gyroscope), based on Sagnac effect, is the most interesting solution due to its high sensitivity, resolution, reliability, small size and EMI immunity. The present work describes a digital electronic circuit implementation for open-loop IFOGs using zero-crossing demodulation techniques. The technique used in the electronic circuit described in this work employs a quasi-synchronous clock for signal processing which leads to an accurate, simple and low cost digital demodulation scheme. The experimental results of the prototype showed that the final detection resolution is 1000 times better than one achieved by the conventional synchronous clock zero-crossing digital demodulator / Mestrado / Eletrônica, Microeletrônica e Optoeletrônica / Mestre em Engenharia Elétrica

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-03-29T19:53:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 rafaelmoraespinto.pdf: 447765 bytes, checksum: b928e9b6d5d9c3600bc07d8048d510f2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-03-30T11:25:48Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 rafaelmoraespinto.pdf: 447765 bytes, checksum: b928e9b6d5d9c3600bc07d8048d510f2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-30T11:25:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 rafaelmoraespinto.pdf: 447765 bytes, checksum: b928e9b6d5d9c3600bc07d8048d510f2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-10 / FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / O uso de terapia hormonal na menopausa não está isento de riscos sendo relatados eventos adversos como embolia pulmonar e câncer após seu uso. Nestes casos, os fitoestrogênios, compostos estrogênicos presentes nas plantas, podem ser utilizados como alternativa ao tratamento hormonal, já existindo comprovação da eficácia e segurança em seu uso. O extrato de Ginkgo biloba, um dos fitoterápicos mais consumidos no mundo, utilizado para o tratamento de distúrbios circulatórios e neurológicos, produziu efeito estrogênico in vitro em células tumorais MCF7 e promoveu alteração do epitélio vaginal de camundongos, aventando a possibilidade do seu uso como um fitoestrogênio. Porém, ainda não existem estudos conclusivos in vivo indicando o efeito estrogênico do extrato, sendo este o objetivo do presente trabalho. Neste experimento, foram utilizadas 70 ratas Wistar, pré-púberes, com 22 dias de idade. As ratas foram pesadas e distribuídas aleatoriamente em sete grupos com 10 animais em cada. O grupo controle negativo recebeu 0,4mL de água destilada via intragástrica. O grupo controle positivo recebeu 1µg/Kg de 17α-estradiol em 0,3mL de óleo mineral, via subcutânea. Os grupos tratados receberam extrato de Ginkgo biloba nas doses de 4, 40, 100, 500 e 1000mg/Kg/dia, administrado em 0,4mL de solução aquosa via intragástrica. A administração das soluções ocorreu uma vez ao dia por três dias. Após 24 horas do último dia de tratamento foi analisada a presença de abertura vaginal e os animais foram eutanasiados para remoção do trato reprodutor. O útero foi separado da vagina e dos ovários e então pesado. Análise histomorfométrica dos cornos uterinos e vagina (espessura da mucosa vaginal e do epitélio superficial uterino) foi realizada. A análise estatística dos dados obtidos foi feita pelo teste ANOVA seguido de teste post-hoc de Tukey ou Dunnett T3 com nível de significância de α = 0,05. O tratamento com Ginkgo biloba não alterou o peso corporal nem o peso uterino. A espessura da mucosa vaginal foi menor nos animais que receberam 1000mg/Kg do extrato. Nos animais tratados com 4, 40, 100 e 500mg/Kg de G. biloba observou-se aumento da espessura do epitélio superficial uterino. Podemos concluir que o extrato de Ginkgo biloba estudado apresentou indícios de efeito estrogênico quando administrado a ratas Wistar nas doses de 4, 40, 100 e 500mg/Kg e efeito antiestrogênico na dose de 1000mg/Kg. / The use of hormonal therapy in menopause is not absent of risks being related to adverse effects such as pulmonary embolism and cancer due to its use. In these cases, phytoestrogens, the estrogenic compounds present in plants, can be used as an alternative to the hormonal treatment. There is already proof of efficacy and safety in their use. Ginkgo biloba extract, one of the most consumed phytotherapics in the world, used to the treatment of circulatory and neurologic disturbs, produced estrogenic effect in vitro in MCF7 tumoral cells and promoted alteration in the vaginal epithelium of mice, suggesting a possibility of being used as a phytoestrogen. However, there are not conclusive studies in vivo indicating the estrogenic effect of any Ginkgo biloba extract, being this the objective of this work. In this experiment seventy 22 day-old impuberal Wistar rats were used. The rats were weighed and randomly distributed into seven groups with ten animals each. The negative control group received 0.4mL of distilled water, by gavage. The positive control group received 1 µg/Kg of 17α-estradiol in 0.3mL of mineral oil, by subcutaneous injection. The treated groups received Ginkgo biloba extract in doses of 4, 40, 100, 500 and 1000mg/Kg/day, administered in 0.4mL of aqueous solution, by gavage. The administration of the solutions occurred once a day during three days. After 24 hours from the last day of treatment the presence of vaginal opening was analyzed and the animals were euthanized to remove the reproductive tract. The uterus was separated from the vagina and from the ovaries and then weighted. The uterine horns and the vagina were fixed to histomorphometric analysis and vaginal mucosa and uterine superficial epithelium thickness were measured. Statistical comparisons were made, using ANOVA, followed by post hoc Tukey or Dunnett T3. The level of significance of tests was α = 0.05. The Ginkgo biloba treatment did not alter the body weight neither the uterine weight. The vaginal mucosa thickness was thinner in the animals that received 1000mg/Kg of the extract. In the animals treated with 4, 40, 100 and 500mg/Kg of Ginkgo biloba it was observed that the uterine superficial epithelium was thicker. We conclude that the Ginkgo biloba extract studied showed indications of an estrogenic effect when administered to Wistar rats with doses of 4, 40, 100 and 500mg/Kg and an anti-estrogenic effect with a dose of 1000mg/Kg.

No description available.

In this work, we study the use of a spatial light modulator (SLM) for local manipulation of phase in interfering laser beams to fabricate photonic crystal templates with embedded, engineered defects. A SLM displaying geometric phase patterns was used as a digitally programmable phase mask to fabricate 4-fold and 6-fold symmetric photonic crystal templates. Through pixel-by-pixel phase engineering, digital control of the phases of one or more of the interfering beams was demonstrated, thus allowing change in the interference pattern. The phases of the generated beams were programmed at specific locations, resulting in defect structures in the fabricated photonic lattices such as missing lattice line defects, and single-motif lattice defects in dual-motif lattice background. The diffraction efficiency from the phase pattern was used to locally modify the filling fraction in holographically fabricated structures, resulting in defects with a different fill fraction than the bulk lattice. Through two steps of phase engineering, a spatially variant lattice defect with a 90° bend in a periodic bulk lattice was fabricated. Finally, by reducing the relative phase shift of the defect line and utilizing the different diffraction efficiency between the defect line and the background phase pattern, desired and functional defect lattices can be registered into the background lattice through direct imaging of the designed phase patterns.

QC 20101206

<p>  </p> <p>Integrated photonics has provided an elegant way to bring the table-top bulky optical systems from the research lab to our daily life, thanks to its compact size, robustness, and low power consumption. Over the past decade, Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) photonics has become a leading material platform, benefiting from its record-low loss, large Kerr nonlinearity, and compatibility with the foundry process. However, the lack of electro-optical effect makes it challenging to actively tune the Si3N4 photonic circuits for advanced applications, such as LiDAR, spectroscopy, and atomic clocks. During my PhD research, I have developed a new platform of piezoelectric control of Si3N4 photonics through stress-optical effect. By integrating an<br> Aluminum Nitride (AlN) piezoelectric actuator, I demonstrated the tuning of Si3N4 optical microring resonator at sub-microsecond speed with nano-Watt power consumption. Microwave frequency (GHz) acousto-optic modulation (AOM) is realized by exciting high-overtone bulk acoustic wave resonant modes (HBAR), which are tightly confined in an acoustic Fabry-Pérot cavity. Maximum of 9.2 GHz modulation is achieved which falls into the microwave X-band. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The applications of the Piezo-on-Photonic platform are extensively explored in the quasi-DC and high frequency regimes. By working as a stress-optical tuner at low frequency, it allows me to actively tune a Kerr frequency comb into different states, and stabilize it over several hours, which can serve as the light source for the next-generation chip-based LiDAR engine. On the other hand, the GHz frequency AOM has helped me demonstrate a magnetic-free integrated optical isolator, a device that transmits light in only one direction. Three AlN HBAR actuators are integrated closely on the same Si3N4 microring resonator, which generate an effective rotating acoustic wave and break the transmission reciprocity of the light. A maximum of 10 dB isolation is achieved under 300 mW total radiofrequency power, with minimum insertion loss of 0.1 dB. Finally, the application of the same technique in quantum microwave to optical converter is theoretically analyzed, showing potential for building future quantum networks. The initial experimental attempt and outlook for future improvements are investigated. </p> <p><br></p> <p>In conclusion, this thesis investigated a novel Piezo-on-Photonic platform for flexible and efficient control of the Si3N4 photonic system, and its applications in a wide variety of advanced devices are demonstrated, with the potential of being key building blocks for future optical systems on-chip.  </p>