Showing papers by "University of Electronic Science and Technology of China published in 2009"

OFDM and Its Wireless Applications: A Survey

Abstract: Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) effectively mitigates intersymbol interference (ISI) caused by the delay spread of wireless channels. Therefore, it has been used in many wireless systems and adopted by various standards. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey on OFDM for wireless communications. We address basic OFDM and related modulations, as well as techniques to improve the performance of OFDM for wireless communications, including channel estimation and signal detection, time- and frequency-offset estimation and correction, peak-to-average power ratio reduction, and multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) techniques. We also describe the applications of OFDM in current systems and standards.

Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research

Abstract: [1] The Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (WATER) is a simultaneous airborne, satellite-borne, and ground-based remote sensing experiment aiming to improve the observability, understanding, and predictability of hydrological and related ecological processes at a catchment scale. WATER consists of the cold region, forest, and arid region hydrological experiments as well as a hydrometeorology experiment and took place in the Heihe River Basin, a typical inland river basin in the northwest of China. The field campaigns have been completed, with an intensive observation period lasting from 7 March to 12 April, from 15 May to 22 July, and from 23 August to 5 September 2008: in total, 120 days. Twenty-five airborne missions were flown. Airborne sensors including microwave radiometers at L, K, and Ka bands, imaging spectrometer, thermal imager, CCD, and lidar were used. Various satellite data were collected. Ground measurements were carried out at four scales, that is, key experimental area, foci experimental area, experiment site, and elementary sampling plot, using ground-based remote sensing instruments, densified network of automatic meteorological stations, flux towers, and hydrological stations. On the basis of these measurements, the remote sensing retrieval models and algorithms of water cycle variables are to be developed or improved, and a catchment-scale land/hydrological data assimilation system is being developed. This paper reviews the background, scientific objectives, experiment design, filed campaign implementation, and current status of WATER. The analysis of the data will continue over the next 2 years, and limited revisits to the field are anticipated.

Identity-Based Authentication for Cloud Computing

Abstract: Cloud computing is a recently developed new technology for complex systems with massive-scale services sharing among numerous users. Therefore, authentication of both users and services is a significant issue for the trust and security of the cloud computing. SSL Authentication Protocol (SAP), once applied in cloud computing, will become so complicated that users will undergo a heavily loaded point both in computation and communication. This paper, based on the identity-based hierarchical model for cloud computing (IBHMCC) and its corresponding encryption and signature schemes, presented a new identity-based authentication protocol for cloud computing and services. Through simulation testing, it is shown that the authentication protocol is more lightweight and efficient than SAP, specially the more lightweight user side. Such merit of our model with great scalability is very suited to the massive-scale cloud.

An energy-aware routing protocol in wireless sensor networks

Abstract: The most important issue that must be solved in designing a data gathering algorithm for wireless sensor networks (WSNS) is how to save sensor node energy while meeting the needs of applications/users. In this paper, we propose a novel energy-aware routing protocol (EAP) for a long-lived sensor network. EAP achieves a good performance in terms of lifetime by minimizing energy consumption for in-network communications and balancing the energy load among all the nodes. EAP introduces a new clustering parameter for cluster head election, which can better handle the heterogeneous energy capacities. Furthermore, it also introduces a simple but efficient approach, namely, intra-cluster coverage to cope with the area coverage problem. We use a simple temperature sensing application to evaluate the performance of EAP and results show that our protocol significantly outperforms LEACH and HEED in terms of network lifetime and the amount of data gathered.

A Novel Electronic Beam Steering Technique in Time Modulated Antenna Array

Abstract: In this paper, a novel technique for electronic beam steering in time modulated linear array (TMLA) is proposed. The beam steering technique is realized at the flrst sideband by controlling the switch-on time sequences of each element in the TMLA without using phase shifters. The difierential evolution (DE) algorithm is employed to improve the gain and suppress the sidelobe levels (SLLs) at both the center frequency and the flrst sideband, simultaneously. An S-band 8-element double-layered printed dipole linear array was used to verify the technique experimentally. Measured results are compared with numerical data, and good agreement is reported. Moreover, some simulation results on the binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulated signals arriving from difierent directions received by the proposed approach are presented, which validates the application of the proposed beam steering technique.

Performance Evaluation of Cloud Service Considering Fault Recovery

Abstract: In cloud computing, cloud service performance is an important issue. To improve cloud service reliability, fault recovery may be used. However, the use of fault recovery could have impact on the performance of cloud service. In this paper, we conduct a preliminary study on this issue. Cloud service performance is quantified by service response time, whose probability density function as well as the mean is derived.

Inheritance and mapping of powdery mildew resistance gene Pm43 introgressed from Thinopyrum intermedium into wheat.

Abstract: Powdery mildew resistance from Thinopyrum intermedium was introgressed into common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Genetic analysis of the F(1), F(2), F(3) and BC(1) populations from powdery mildew resistant line CH5025 revealed that resistance was controlled by a single dominant allele. The gene responsible for powdery mildew resistance was mapped by the linkage analysis of a segregating F(2) population. The resistance gene was linked to five co-dominant genomic SSR markers (Xcfd233, Xwmc41, Xbarc11, Xgwm539 and Xwmc175) and their most likely order was Xcfd233-Xwmc41-Pm43-Xbarc11-Xgwm539-Xwmc175 at 2.6, 2.3, 4.2, 3.5 and 7.0 cM, respectively. Using the Chinese Spring nullisomic-tetrasomic and ditelosomic lines, the polymorphic markers and the resistance gene were assigned to chromosome 2DL. As no powdery mildew resistance gene was previously assigned to chromosome 2DL, this new resistance gene was designated Pm43. Pm43, together with the identified closely linked markers, could be useful in marker-assisted selection for pyramiding powdery mildew resistance genes.

Properties of Helium Defects in BCC and FCC Metals Investigated with Density Functional Theory

Abstract: The relative stability of single He defects in bcc and fcc metals is investigated using ab initio calculations based on density functional theory. The results indicate that the tetrahedral position is energetically more favorable for a He interstitial than the octahedral site in bcc metals, but the relative stability of He defects in fcc metals varies, depending on local environments. The He formation energies in bcc Fe and fcc Ni at the tetrahedral and octahedral positions with and without spin polarization are investigated. It is of interest to find that the magnetism of host atoms does not directly affect the relative stabilities of He in interstitial sites in bcc Fe and fcc Ni.

Miniature fiber-optic temperature sensors based on silica/polymer microfiber knot resonators.

Abstract: In this paper, we report two fiber-optic temperature sensors based on silica/polymer microfiber knot resonators (SMKR/PMKR). The structures of these sensors are composed of three layers, MgF(2) crystal plate is adopted as the substrate, and the sensing knots are covered by a thin MgF(2) slab to keep it steady and immunity to the environment fluctuations. Experimental results show that the temperature sensitivity of SMKR is approximately 52 pm/ degrees C within 30 degrees C approximately 700 degrees C, while the sensitivity of PMKR is approximately 266 pm/ degrees C within 20 degrees C approximately 80 degrees C. The temporal response of SMKR and PMKR sensors are less than 1 ms and 5 ms, respectively. These microfiber knot resonators can be used as miniature high temperature sensors with fast response. Higher resolution can be anticipated with further improvement of the Q factor of the microfiber knot resonators.

Characterization and chromosomal location of Pm40 in common wheat: a new gene for resistance to powdery mildew derived from Elytrigia intermedium.

Abstract: Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, is a very destructive wheat (Triticum aestivum) disease. Resistance was transferred from Elytrigia intermedium to common wheat by crossing and backcrossing, and line GRY19, that was subsequently selected, possessed a single dominant gene for seedling resistance. Five polymorphic microsatellite markers, Xgwm297, Xwmc335, Xwmc364, Xwmc426 and Xwmc476, on chromosome arm 7BS, were mapped relative to the powdery mildew resistance locus in an F2 population of Mianyang 11/GRY19. The loci order Xwmc426–Xwmc335–Pm40–Xgwm297–Xwmc364–Xwmc476, with 5.9, 0.2, 0.7, 1.2 and 2.9 cM genetic distances, was consistent with published maps. The resistance gene transferred from Elytrigia intermedium into wheat line GRY19 was novel, and was designated Pm40. The close flanking markers will enable marker assisted transfer of this gene into wheat breeding populations.

Impaired perceptual networks in temporal lobe epilepsy revealed by resting fMRI

Abstract: Viewed as a neural network disorder, mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) may cause widespread deficits in human brain functions. Impairments in cognitive functions such as memory and language have been well addressed, but perceptual deficits have only been considered in terms of behavioral data. Little imaging research on perceptual deficits in mTLE has been reported. The present study is expected to reveal impairments in the perceptual networks in patients with mTLE using fMRI. The fMRI-based independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to 33 patients with mTLE and 33 matched healthy controls. In light of the resting-state networks (RSNs) corresponding to the basal functions of visual, auditory, and sensorimotor systems, the ICA data of functional connectivity within these RSNs were compared between the patients and controls. Compared with the controls, the mTLE patients presented decreased functional connectivity within the regions of the auditory and sensorimotor networks, as well increased functional connectivity in the primary visual cortex and decreased functional connectivity in the bilateral MT+ areas of the visual network. Our neuroimaging results are in agreement with the previous findings that specific perceptual functions are impaired in mTLE. Furthermore, our findings in the visual network support the belief that the primary visual function is not impaired and that there may be deficits in the high-order visual function in mTLE. Our fMRI study may contribute to the understanding of neuropathophysiological mechanisms underlying perceptual impairments in mTLE.

Prediction of Subcellular Localization of Apoptosis Protein Using Chou’s Pseudo Amino Acid Composition

Abstract: Apoptosis proteins play an essential role in regulating a balance between cell proliferation and death. The successful prediction of subcellular localization of apoptosis proteins directly from primary sequence is much benefited to understand programmed cell death and drug discovery. In this paper, by use of Chou's pseudo amino acid composition (PseAAC), a total of 317 apoptosis proteins are predicted by support vector machine (SVM). The jackknife cross-validation is applied to test predictive capability of proposed method. The predictive results show that overall prediction accuracy is 91.1% which is higher than previous methods. Furthermore, another dataset containing 98 apoptosis proteins is examined by proposed method. The overall predicted successful rate is 92.9%.

Evaluating reproducibility of differential expression discoveries in microarray studies by considering correlated molecular changes

Abstract: Motivation: According to current consistency metrics such as percentage of overlapping genes (POG), lists of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) detected from different microarray studies for a complex disease are often highly inconsistent. This irreproducibility problem also exists in other high-throughput post-genomic areas such as proteomics and metabolism. A complex disease is often characterized with many coordinated molecular changes, which should be considered when evaluating the reproducibility of discovery lists from different studies. Results: We proposed metrics percentage of overlapping genes-related (POGR) and normalized POGR (nPOGR) to evaluate the consistency between two DEG lists for a complex disease, considering correlated molecular changes rather than only counting gene overlaps between the lists. Based on microarray datasets of three diseases, we showed that though the POG scores for DEG lists from different studies for each disease are extremely low, the POGR and nPOGR scores can be rather high, suggesting that the apparently inconsistent DEG lists may be highly reproducible in the sense that they are actually significantly correlated. Observing different discovery results for a disease by the POGR and nPOGR scores will obviously reduce the uncertainty of the microarray studies. The proposed metrics could also be applicable in many other high-throughput post-genomic areas. Contact: guoz@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Topology optimization of energy harvesting devices using piezoelectric materials

Abstract: Energy harvesting devices based on the piezoelectric effect that converts ambient energy to electric energy is a very attractive energy source for remote sensors and embedded devices. Although topology optimization has been applied to the design of piezoelectric transducers, the locations of piezoelectric materials are predefined and only the optimal layout of elastic materials is considered. In this paper, both elastic materials as well as piezoelectric materials are considered for the design of energy harvesting devices under the topology optimization formulation. The objective function for this study is to maximize the energy conversion factor. The sensitivities of both stored strain energy and electrical energy are derived by the adjoint method. Examples of energy harvesting devices are presented and discussed using the proposed method.

Bipolar Molecule as an Excellent Hole-Transporter for Organic-Light Emitting Devices

Abstract: A new bipolar molecule containing hole-transporting and electron-transporting moieties has been synthesized and characterized. The compound, 4,4′,4′′-tris(8-quinoline)-triphenylamine (TQTPA) exhibited good thermal stability and luminescence properties. A single-layer TQTPA light-emitting device shows sky blue emission with a low turn-on voltage of 2.8 V, a maximum brightness greater than 7500 cd/m2 at 10 V, and a maximum current efficiency of 1.6 cd/A. Bipolar transport properties of TQTPA were investigated via the hole-only and electron-only devices. Using the bipolar molecule as a hole-transporter, a typical bilayer device with a configuration of ITO/TQTPA (60 nm)/Alq3 (50 nm)/LiF (0.5 nm)/MgAg yields a maximum current efficiency of 5.6 cd/A (with Alq3 emission), which is much better (50% higher) than that of the prototypical NPB-based device (3.8 cd/A) with a similar device structure.

Transmission line model and fields analysis of metamaterial absorber in the terahertz band.

Abstract: Metamaterial (MM) absorber is a novel device to provide near-unity absorption to electromagnetic wave, which is especially important in the terahertz (THz) band. However, the principal physics of MM absorber is still far from being understood. In this work, a transmission line (TL) model for MM absorber was proposed, and with this model the S-parameters, energy consumption, and the power loss density of the absorber were calculated. By this TL model, the asymmetric phenomenon of THz absorption in MM absorber is unambiguously demonstrated, and it clarifies that strong absorption of this absorber under studied is mainly related to the LC resonance of the split-ring-resonator structure. The distribution of power loss density in the absorber indicates that the electromagnetic wave is firstly concentrated into some specific locations of the absorber and then be strongly consumed. This feature as electromagnetic wave trapper renders MM absorber a potential energy converter. Based on TL model, some design strategies to widen the absorption band were also proposed for the purposes to extend its application areas.

Empirical analysis of web-based user-object bipartite networks

Abstract: Understanding the structure and evolution of web-based user-object networks is a significant task since they play a crucial role in e-commerce nowadays. This Letter reports the empirical analysis on two large-scale web sites, audioscrobbler.com and del.icio.us, where users are connected with music groups and bookmarks, respectively. The degree distributions and degree-degree correlations for both users and objects are reported. We propose a new index, named collaborative clustering coefficient, to quantify the clustering behavior based on the collaborative selection. Accordingly, the clustering properties and clustering-degree correlations are investigated. We report some novel phenomena well characterizing the selection mechanism of web users and outline the relevance of these phenomena to the information recommendation problem.

Approximation-based adaptive tracking control of pure-feedback nonlinear systems with multiple unknown time-varying delays

Abstract: This paper presents adaptive neural tracking control for a class of non-affine pure-feedback systems with multiple unknown state time-varying delays. The separation technique is introduced to decompose unknown functions of all time-varying delayed states into a series of continuous functions of each delayed state. A novel Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional is employed to compensate for the unknown function of current delayed state, which is effectively free from any restrictive assumption on unknown time-delay functions. The proposed control scheme guarantees the boundedness of all the signals in the closed-loop system and the tracking performance. Simulation studies are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Stochastic and coherence resonance in feed-forward-loop neuronal network motifs

Abstract: The relationships between noise and complex dynamic behaviors of neuronal ensembles are key questions in computational neuroscience, particularly in understanding some basic signal transmission mechanisms of the brain. Here we systemically investigate both the stochastic resonance (SR) and coherence resonance (CR) in the triple-neuron feed-forward-loop (FFL) network motifs by computational modeling. We use the Izhikevich neuron model as well as the chemical coupling to build the FFL motifs, and consider all possible motif types. The simulation results demonstrate that these motifs can exploit noise to enrich its dynamic performance. With a proper choice of noise intensities, both the SR and CR can be exhibited in many types of the FFLs. On the other hand, our results also indicate that the coupling strength serves as a control parameter, which has great impacts on the stochastic dynamics of the FFL motifs. Additionally, biological implications of presented results in the field of neuroscience are outlined.

Adsorption of hydrogen on boron-doped graphene: A first-principles prediction

Abstract: The doping effects of boron on the atomic adsorption of hydrogen on graphene have been investigated using density functional theory calculations. The hydrogen adsorption energies and electronic structures have been considered for pristine and B-doped graphene with the adsorption of hydrogen on top of carbon or boron atom. It is found that the B-doping forms an electron-deficient structure and decreases the hydrogen adsorption energy dramatically. For the adsorption of hydrogen on top of other sites, similar results have also been found. These results indicate that the hydrogen storage capacity is improved by the doping of B atom.