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Recent advances in the retrieval of Chl fluorescence from space using passive methods (solar-induced Chl fluorescence, SIF) promise improved mapping of plant photosynthesis globally. However, unresolved issues related to the spatial, spectral, and temporal dynamics of vegetation fluorescence complicate our ability to interpret SIF measurements. We developed an instrument to measure leaf-level gas exchange simultaneously with pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) and spectrally resolved fluorescence over the same field of view – allowing us to investigate the relationships between active and passive fluorescence with photosynthesis. Strongly correlated, slope-dependent relationships were observed between measured spectra across all wavelengths (Fλ , 670–850 nm) and PAM fluorescence parameters under a range of actinic light intensities (steady-state fluorescence yields, F t) and saturation pulses (maximal fluorescence yields, F m). Our results suggest that this method can accurately reproduce the full Chl emission spectra – capturing the spectral dynamics associated with changes in the yields of fluorescence, photochemical (ΦPSII), and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). We discuss how this method may establish a link between photosynthetic capacity and the mechanistic drivers of wavelength-specific fluorescence emission during changes in environmental conditions (light, temperature, humidity). Our emphasis is on future research directions linking spectral fluorescence to photosynthesis, ΦPSII, and NPQ.

A novel hybrid pulse width modulation (PWM) and pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) (HPP) driving method is proposed for improving the low gray-level expression of a micro light-emitting diode (µLED) display. At the high and middle gray-levels, PWM is adopted in order to suppress the wavelength shift of µLEDs. At the low gray-level, PAM is applied when the emission time and current of µLEDs simultaneously decrease. The HPP driving method is simulated by using a simplified p-type low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) thin-film transistor (TFT)-based µLED pixel circuit. HPP driving exhibits stable PWM and PAM operations. Furthermore, HPP driving guarantees a data voltage range approximately 14 times larger than PWM driving, thus resulting in a robust operation with a maximum error rate of 3.83% under data signal distortion. Consequently, the µLED pixel circuit adopting HPP driving improves the low gray-level expression and demonstrates a robust circuit operation.

This study examined the effects of temperature and irradiance on photosynthetic characteristics of the macroscopic sporophyte (SPO) and microscopic gametophyte (GAM) stages of a subarctic brown alga, Saccharina japonica var. japonica (Laminariales) from Hokkaido, Japan. In vitro measurements under short- and long-term exposures were carried out by using optical dissolved oxygen sensors and the pulse amplitude modulation (PAM)-chlorophyll fluorometer, respectively. The heteromorphic life history stages of S. japonica showed photosynthetic optima at 23–23.3 °C, derived from the gross photosynthesis–temperature model. Maximum quantum yields (Fv/Fm) of SPO and GAM after 72 h of temperature exposures in the dark were reduced to near zero above 24 °C, indicating PSII inactivation. Such similarity in their temperature characteristics suggests the co-occurrence of both generations in the habitat despite the seasonal growth and reproduction of the species. Net photosynthesis–irradiance experiments in the two life history stages at 8, 16, and 24 °C revealed similarity in their light-saturated photosynthetic rates (NPmax = 3.02–4.41 μg O2 gww−1 min−1, SPO; 2.87–3.73 μg O2 gww−1 min−1, GAM), but saturation irradiances of SPO (Ek = 81–102 μmol photons m−2 s−1) were higher than those of GAM (48–69 μmol photons m−2 s−1). A slight decrease in net photosynthetic rates of GAM above 500 μmol photons m−2 s−1 was likewise observed. This difference may be related to the light regime of their natural habitat, suggesting the low irradiance adaptation of the microscopic stage that settles on rock crevices beneath algal canopies.

To meet the demand of low bit error rate and high bandwidth for high-speed links, a reliable 112 Gb/s four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) transceiver design scheme with adaptive threshold voltage and adaptive decision feedback equalizer is proposed in this paper. In this scheme, three continuous time linear equalizers (CTLEs) at the front end of receiver are used to compensate the high-frequency, mid-frequency and low-frequency signals, respectively, and the variable gain amplifier (VGA) and saturation amplifier (SatAmp) are used to scale the signal amplitude. In addition to the three data samplers, four auxiliary samplers are also used for threshold adaptation. The sign-sign least mean squares algorithm uses the offset between the data sampler and the auxiliary sampler at the receiver side to drive the auxiliary reference voltage to converge to the signal constellation level, thus ensuring that the eye diagram of the PAM4 received signal has equal spacing and a constant signal–noise ratio for the three eyes in the vertical direction. In addition, the adaptive DFE for PAM4 signaling allows the transceiver to better adapt to the channel and thus achieve better equalizer performance. The simulation results show that the PAM4 transceiver design can compensate up to 25 dB of channel loss with an average eye height of 59.6 mv and an average eye width of 0.27 UI at a bit error rate of 10−12 under the condition of 3-tap feedforward equalizer (FFE) transmitter.

The effects of temperature, irradiance, and desiccation on the photosynthesis of a cultivated Japanese green alga Caulerpa lentillifera (Caulerpaceae) were determined by a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM)-chlorophyll fluorometer and dissolved oxygen sensors. The photochemical efficiency in the photosystem II (Fv/Fm and ΔF/Fm') during the 72-h temperature exposures (8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, and 40°C) was generally stable at 16–32°C but quickly dropped at lower and higher temperatures. The photosynthesis–temperature curve at 200 μmol photons m−2 s−1 also revealed that the maximum gross photosynthesis (GPmax) occurred at 30.7°C (30.5–30.9, 95% highest density credible intervals). Photosynthesis–irradiance curves at 16, 24, and 32°C quickly saturated, then expressed photoinhibition, and revealed that the maximum net photosynthetic rates (NPmax) and saturation irradiance (Ek) were highest at 32°C and lowest at 16°C. Continuous 6-h exposure to irradiances of 200 (low) and 400 (high) μmol photons m−2 s−1 at 16, 24, and 32°C expressed greater declines in their ΔF/Fm' at 16°C, revealing chronic chilling-light stress. The response to continuous desiccation (~480 min) under 50% humidity at 24°C showed that ΔF/Fm' dropped to zero at 480-min aerial exposure, and the treatments of more than 60-min desiccation did not return to the initial level even after 24-h subsequent rehydration in seawater. Likewise, ΔF/Fm' fell when the absolute water content (AWC) of the frond dropped below AWC of 90% and mostly did not return to the initial level even after 24-h subsequent rehydration in seawater, signifying a low tolerance to desiccation.

Visible-light communications (VLC) is an environmentally friendly optical wireless communication (OWC) technology that operates in the 400–800 THz frequency band. It is currently a critical technology for 5G and 6G wireless indoor applications due to its high data rates, low latency, and superior reliability. Intensity modulated direct detection (IM/DD) is widely used in VLC systems. A channel modulation scheme is designed using L-level pulse modulation techniques such as on–off keying (OOK), amplitude modulation (PAM), position modulation (PPM), and the width modulation (PWM). We introduce a novel hybrid modulation scheme n-M-PAWM based on both PAM and PWM schemes to improve throughput and significantly increase power and spectrum efficiency in VLC communication systems. The performance of our proposed hybrid n-M-PAWM scheme is studied in several aspects, including the number of transmitted bits per symbol, average BER, information rate ratio (IRR), PAPR, bandwidth, and power requirement. In an extremely noisy VLC system, the proposed 2-M-PAWM modulation outperforms both PPWM and PAPM modulation schemes due to its better BER performances. Additionally, we examine the performance of the VLC system in terms of spectral efficiency (SE) using our proposed PAWM-based dimming control system by varying the number of pulses transmitted during one symbol period. We demonstrate through simulation results that our PAWM-based dimming control system performs significantly better compared to the other pulse modulation schemes. All results of this research show that our proposed hybrid PAWM modulation scheme has high potential for VLC technology in indoor and noisy environments.

Seasonal changes in the size of the herbal drug red alga Chondria armata (Rhodomelaceae, Ceramiales) were investigated in Kagoshima, Japan, which is near the northern distributional limit in the western Pacific. Additionally, its photosynthetic response to irradiance and temperature was examined using dissolved oxygen sensors and a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM)-chlorophyll fluorometer. This alga was observed in tidepools throughout the year; its height and weight were greatest in December and the lowest in April and May. The net photosynthesis of the photosynthesis–irradiance (P–E) curve determined at 28°C quickly saturated at 113 µmol photons m-2 s-1, with minimal inhibition even at 1000 µmol photons m-2 s-1. The gross photosynthesis of the photosynthesis–temperature (P–T) curved over 8 to 40°C, measured at 500 µmol photons m-2 s-1, peaked at 30.1°C and decreased rapidly below 20°C and above 36°C, respectively. Similarly, the effective quantum yield (ΔF/Fm') after a 3-day culture during 4–40°C at 50 µmol photons m-2 s-1 remained stable between 16°C and 32°C but decreased outside of this range. The combined effect of irradiance (200 [low] and 1000 [high] µmol photons m-2 s-1) and temperature (28, 22, and 16°C) revealed that ΔF/Fm' declined during exposure to high irradiance at all temperature treatments. However, it mostly recovered after a subsequent 12-hour period of dim-light acclimation at 28°C and 22°C. In contrast, those at 16°C could not recover, indicating the occurrence of low-temperature light stress. This alga appears to be well-adapted to the irradiance and temperature environment at the study site. However, the winter temperature appears to approach its threshold level, and the occurrence of strong light during the winter might adversely affect the abundance of this alga near its northern distributional limit.

We determined the effects of irradiance, temperature, and desiccation on the photosynthesis of a brown alga, Sargassum muticum (Fucales), from its native distributional range in Japan by using a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM)-chlorophyll fluorometer and optical dissolved oxygen sensors. Photosynthesis–irradiance curves at three temperatures (8, 20, and 28°C) showed that the maximum net photosynthetic rates (NPmax) and saturation irradiance were highest at 28°C. Gross photosynthesis determined at 8–36°C (every four increments) and 300 μmol photons m−2 s−1 showed that the maximum gross photosynthetic rate (GPmax) occurred at 19.5°C (ToptGP), which is consistent with the seawater temperature at its peaked abundance in Japan. The maximum quantum yields (Fv/Fm) of photosystem II (PSII) during the 72-h temperature exposures were above 0.60 at 8–28°C but dropped at higher temperatures. Continuous exposure (12 h) to irradiance of 200 (low) and 1000 (high) μmol photons m−2 s−1 at three temperatures showed remarkable decline in the effective quantum yields (ΔF/Fm') of PSII under high irradiance at 8°C only; the Fv/Fm measured after 12-h dark acclimation also did not recover to initial values, signifying its sensitivity to photoinhibition at 8°C. Furthermore, the alga exhibited tolerance to 2 h of desiccation with 80% of water loss from the thallus, and ΔF/Fm' recovered after 24 h of rehydration in seawater, suggesting potential of photosynthetic recovery of this alga at such low hydration threshold. In conclusion, the adaptation of S. muticum to relatively high irradiance, to broad range of temperature (8–28°C), and to desiccation explains its potentially high invasive capacity.

Despite remarkable advances made to ameliorate how cochlear implants process the acoustic environment, many improvements can still be made. One of most fundamental questions concerns a strategy to simulate an increase in sound intensity. Psychoacoustic studies indicated that acting on either the current, or the duration of the stimulating pulses leads to perception of changes in how loud the sound is. The present study compared the growth function of electrically evoked Compound Action Potentials (eCAP) of the 8th nerve using these two strategies to increase electrical charges (and potentially to increase the sound intensity). Both with chronically (experiment 1) or acutely (experiment 2) implanted guinea pigs, only a few differences were observed between the mean eCAP amplitude growth functions obtained with the two strategies. However, both in chronic and acute experiments, many animals showed larger increases of eCAP amplitude with current increase, whereas some animals showed larger of eCAP amplitude with duration increase, and other animals show no difference between either approaches. This indicates that the parameters allowing the largest increase in eCAP amplitude considerably differ between subjects. In addition, there was a significant correlation between the strength of neuronal firing rate in auditory cortex and the effect of these two strategies on the eCAP amplitude. This suggests that pre-selecting only one strategy for recruiting auditory nerve fibers in a given subject might not be appropriate for all human subjects.

In this paper, the theoretical bit error rate (BER) of N -level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM- N ) and M -ary quadrature amplitude modulation ( M -QAM) have been studied and compared under different scenarios, including (i) PAM with intensity modulation with direct detection (IM/DD) and field modulation with detection (FMD) (including coherent detection and single-sideband modulation with direct detection (SSB-DD)), and (ii) QAM with coherent detection and SSB-DD. Considering the relationship between the symbol spacing and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), we provide the mathematical BER equations, including the optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) and carrier-to-signal power ratio (CSPR), especially for PAM signals. To verify the validity of our theoretical expressions for SSB systems, transmissions with 224-Gb/s SSB-PAM4/16QAM signals using the Kramers-Kronig (KK) receiver were implemented on a unified optical system platform. The simulation results agreed well with theoretical calculations both in back-to-back (BtB) and 120-km transmission scenarios, which showed that the BER evaluation methods can serve as a theoretical guidance and system assessment criteria for SSB scenarios.