Improved error performance for generalised spatial modulation with enhanced spectral efficiency

The existing analytical average bit error rate (ABER) expression of conventional generalised spatial modulation (CGSM) does not agree well with the Monte Carlo simulation results in the low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) region. Hence, the first contribution of this paper is to derive a new and easy way to evaluate analytical ABER expression that improves the validation of the simulation results at low SNRs. Secondly, a novel system termed CGSM with enhanced spectral efficiency (CGSM‐ESE) is presented. This system is realised by applying a rotation angle to one of the two active transmit antennas. As a result, the overall spectral efficiency is increased by 1 bit/s/Hz when compared with the equivalent CGSM system. In order to validate the simulation results of CGSM‐ESE, the third contribution is to derive an analytical ABER expression. Finally, to improve the ABER performance of CGSM‐ESE, three link adaptation algorithms are developed. By assuming full knowledge of the channel at the receiver, the proposed algorithms select a subset of channel gain vector (CGV) pairs based on the Euclidean distance between all CGV pairs, CGV splitting, CGV amplitudes, or a combination of these.     

Modelling of chromatic contrast for retrieval of wallpaper images

Colour remains one of the key factors in presenting an object and, consequently, has been widely applied in retrieval of images based on their visual contents. However, a colour appearance changes with the change of viewing surroundings, the phenomenon that has not been paid attention yet while performing colour‐based image retrieval. To comprehend this effect, in this article, a chromatic contrast model, CAMcc, is developed for the application of retrieval of colour intensive images, cementing the gap that most of existing colour models lack to fill by taking simultaneous colour contrast into account. Subsequently, the model is applied to the retrieval task on a collection of museum wallpapers of colour‐rich images. In comparison with current popular colour models including CIECAM02, HSI and RGB, with respect to both foreground and background colours, CAMcc appears to outperform the others with retrieved results being closer to query images. In addition, CAMcc focuses more on foreground colours, especially by maintaining the balance between both foreground and background colours, while the rest of existing models take on dominant colours that are perceived the most, usually background tones. Significantly, the contribution of the investigation lies in not only the improvement of the accuracy of colour‐based image retrieval but also the development of colour contrast model that warrants an important place in colour and computer vision theory, leading to deciphering the insight of this age‐old topic of chromatic contrast in colour science. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 40, 361–373, 2015     

Covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy based design of fixed structure robust H∞ loop shaping controller

This paper proposes the application of Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) in fixed structure H_∞ loop shaping controller design. Integral Time Absolute Error (ITAE) performance requirement is incorporated as a constraint with an objective of maximization of stability margin in the fixed structure H_∞ loop shaping controller design problem. Pneumatic servo system, separating tower process and F18 fighter aircraft system are considered as test systems. The CMA-ES designed fixed structure H_∞ loop-shaping controller is compared with the traditional H_∞ loop shaping controller, non-smooth optimization and Heuristic Kalman Algorithm (HKA) based fixed structure H_∞ loop shaping controllers in terms of stability margin. 20% perturbation in the nominal plant is used to validate the robustness of the CMA-ES designed H_∞ loop shaping controller. The effect of Finite Word Length (FWL) is considered to show the implementation difficulties of controller in digital processors. Simulation results demonstrated that CMA-ES based fixed structure H_∞ loop shaping controller is suitable for real time implementation with good robust stability and performance.     

Lake Chivero: A management case study

Lake Chivero in Zimbabwe was shown to be hypereutrophic. Historical data showed that the eutrophication process had been arrested in the late 1970s. However, a combination of poor planning, multiplicity of jurisdiction, mismatch between rate of urbanization and waste management investment, recent changes in the local climate and a permissive, immature political system that called for no public accountability resulted in environmental management breakdown leading to hypereutrophication of the lake. The case of Lake Chivero is presented as an example of a wider global issue regarding the status of environmental management in competition with other priorities in emerging democracies.     

WPAN/WLAN应用环境下基于PER的链路自适应算法

本文重点研究基于包错误率测量的链路自适应算法，分析了包错误率与信道参数的关系，提出了一种有别于固定门限值方案的优化门限值方案。仿真结果表明，优化门限值方案的网络吞吐量要大于固定门限值方案和基于信干比估计的链路自适应算法，最大增幅可达12Mbit/s。在系统引入重传机制后，网络吞吐量将有所损失，但最大不超过1Mbit/s，相比较服务质量的提高是值得的。需指出的是，虽然分析和仿真均以HIPERLAN／2为例，但不失一般性，它们同样适合于WPAN/WLAN等类似系统。     

Bandwidth Adaptation Algorithms for Adaptive Multimedia Services in Mobile Cellular Networks

The fluctuation of available link bandwidth in mobilecellular networks motivates the study of adaptive multimediaservices, where the bandwidth of an ongoing multimedia call can bedynamically adjusted. We analyze the diverse objectives of theadaptive multimedia framework and propose two bandwidth adaptationalgorithms (BAAs) that can satisfy these objectives. The firstalgorithm, BAA-RA, takes into consideration revenue and``anti-adaptation' where anti-adaptation means that a user feelsuncomfortable whenever the bandwidth of the user's call ischanged. This algorithm achieves near-optimal total revenue withmuch less complexity compared to an optimal BAA. The secondalgorithm, BAA-RF, considers revenue and fairness, and aims at themaximum revenue generation while satisfying the fairnessconstraint defined herein. Comprehensive simulation experimentsshow that the difference of the total revenue of BAA-RA and thatof an optimal BAA is negligible. Also, numerical results revealthat there is a conflicting relationship between anti-adaptationand fairness.     

一种支持QoS的拓扑自适应动态组播路由算法

YAM、QoSMIC、DSDMR等一类支持QoS的动态组播路由算法允许组播成员动态地加入和离开，同时为接收方提供多个可选择的组播接入路径，以满足不同应用的QoS需求。但这些算法普遍存在控制信令开销大和结点加入时延长，可扩展性不好等问题。本文在分析这些算法的基础上，提出改进的支持QoS的动态组播路由算法，即拓扑自适应动态组播路由（Topology Adaptive Dynamic Multicast Routing，TADMR）算法。该算法避免了以往算法中大部分盲目的路径搜索，并使结点加入时延不再受限于固定的等待时钟，而与网络拓扑相自适应。性能分析和仿真结果表明，该算法具有较低的控制信令开销和结点加入时延，适用于各种网络规模和群组规模，具有良好的可扩展性。     

Comment on Greenwood (2007): Solving the puzzle of structure/function relations in the aging brain?

Neuroimaging experiments have shown that prefrontal regions of the brain, which have the most age-related volume loss, are also the regions most likely to be more active in older adults than in younger adults. In an attempt to solve this puzzle, P. M. Greenwood (see record 2007-15625-001) has proposed a cascade that flows from age-related atrophy in the brain to changed processing strategies that result in plastic changes in regions adjacent and contralateral to the atrophic areas, culminating in greater functional activity. This hypothesis should stimulate research into these mechanisms and hopefully will ultimately inform researchers' ability to rehabilitate cognitive disorders in the elderly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extending boosting for large scale spoken language understanding

We propose three methods for extending the Boosting family of classifiers motivated by the real-life problems we have encountered. First, we propose a semisupervised learning method for exploiting the unlabeled data in Boosting. We then present a novel classification model adaptation method. The goal of adaptation is optimizing an existing model for a new target application, which is similar to the previous one but may have different classes or class distributions. Finally, we present an efficient and effective cost-sensitive classification method that extends Boosting to allow for weighted classes. We evaluated these methods for call classification in the AT&;T VoiceTone^® spoken language understanding system. Our results indicate that it is possible to obtain the same classification performance by using 30% less labeled data when the unlabeled data is utilized through semisupervised learning. Using model adaptation we can achieve the same classification accuracy using less than half of the labeled data from the new application. Finally, we present significant improvements in the “important” (i.e., higher weighted) classes without a significant loss in overall performance using the proposed cost-sensitive classification method.     

Social phobia and difficulties in occupational adjustment.

This study examined whether social phobics differed from nonanxious controls in occupational adjustment. Results indicated that generalized and nongeneralized social phobics, in contrast to controls, were underemployed and believed that their supervisor would rate them as less dependable. Nongeneralized social phobics and controls believed their supervisor would rate them higher in work role conformance and likelihood of advancement than did generalized social phobics. Generalized socially phobic women, in contrast to nongeneralized and control group women, were more likely to be employed in noninterpersonally oriented jobs. Generalized social phobics were more anxious than controls when starting their current job but did not differ in job satisfaction. Results are discussed relative to the nature of social phobia, subtype differences, and counseling services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)