A refined algorithm for multisensor image registration based on pixel migration.

Multimodality image registration via pixel migration is a powerful approach. However, it suffers from a serious problem--the global maximum on the sum of squared gradient magnitude (SSG) surface does not correspond to the correct solution of registration. To solve the problem, we partition the search space into feasible and infeasible regions. The genetic algorithm (global optimizer) is used to obtain a good initial estimate of registration parameters and followed by a fast refining with Powell's approach (local optimizer). The experimental results demonstrate that the use of this modified pixel migration algorithm on multisensor image registration is very effective.     

Novel method for simultaneous formation of wires and vias of a printed circuit board using nanoporous body

A new type of a flexible printed circuit board with landless vias is developed using a novel method called interconnection via nanoporous structure (INPS). This method can make wires and vias of the printed circuit board simultaneously by a single photo-exposure process. A new photo-induced selective plating method was used to impregnate a nanoporous substrate with copper, and a new photomask was designed, which constitutes of a completely vacant large hole for via and aggregation patterns of very fine holes for wire. Because of the simple process, the INPS board is characterized by landless vias and very fine circuit. Owing to the structure, it is also characterized by flexibility and detachable wires.     

Reduced-rate retransmissions for spread-spectrum packet radio multimedia networks

A reduced-rate retransmission (RRR) scheme is proposed for improving the throughput performance of spread-spectrum packet radio networks. The scheme takes advantages of the available multi-rate scalable source coding techniques. It assumes that several versions of a data packet with different sizes (number of information bits) are available. The transmission of a packet starts from its full-size version. If the full-size version is not correctly received, its half-size version is used in the retransmission. If further retransmissions are needed, the quarter-size version and so on are used. The shrunk packets are transmitted either in a minislot if the processing gain is kept the same, or occupying a slot duration by increasing the processing gain proportionally. In both cases, the effective signal to interference ratio for a packet is increased. As a result, the system throughput is improved. Theoretical and numerical results are provided in this paper which illustrate the throughput improvement. Another advantage of the proposed RRR scheme is that the packet-size reduction provides finer granules for link adaptation. Therefore, it is especially suitable for multimedia applications for which codes of variable rate for the source data are available and which can tolerate gracefully degraded quality of service. The performance of the proposed scheme in fading channels is also addressed.     

Design methodologies for high-performance noise-tolerant XOR-XNOR circuits

Scaling down to deep submicrometer (DSM) technology has made noise a metric of equal importance as compared to power, speed, and area. Smaller feature size, lower supply voltage, and higher frequency are some of the characteristics for DSM circuits that make them more vulnerable to noise. New designs and circuit techniques are required in order to achieve robustness in presence of noise. Novel methodologies for designing energy-efficient noise-tolerant exclusive-OR-exclusive- NOR circuits that can operate at low-supply voltages with good signal integrity and driving capability are proposed. The circuits designed, after applying the proposed methodologies, are characterized and compared with previously published circuits for reliability, speed and energy efficiency. To test the driving capability of the proposed circuits, they are embedded in an existing 5-2 compressor design. The average noise threshold energy (ANTE) is used for quantifying the noise immunity of the proposed circuits. Simulation results show that, compared with the best available circuit in literature, the proposed circuits exhibit better noise-immunity, lower power-delay product (PDP) and good driving capability. All of the proposed circuits prove to be faster and successfully work at all ranges of supply voltage starting from 3.3 V down to 0.6 V. The savings in the PDP range from 94% to 21% for the given supply voltage range respectively and the average improvement in the ANTE is 2.67X.     

Supermedia-enhanced Internet-based telerobotics

This paper introduces new planning and control methods for supermedia-enhanced real-time telerobotic operations via the Internet. Supermedia is the collection of video, audio, haptic information, temperature, and other sensory feedback. However, when the communication medium used, such as the Internet, introduces random communication time delay, several challenges and difficulties arise. Most importantly, random communication delay causes instability, loss of transparency, and desynchronization in real-time closed-loop telerobotic systems. Due to the complexity and diversity of such systems, the first challenge is to develop a general and efficient modeling and analysis tool. This paper proposes the use of Petri net modeling to capture the concurrency and complexity of Internet-based teleoperation. Combined with the event-based planning and control method, it also provides an efficient analysis and design tool to study the stability, transparency, and synchronization of such systems. In addition, the concepts of event transparency and event synchronization are introduced and analyzed. This modeling and control method has been applied to the design of several supermedia-enhanced Internet-based telerobotic systems, including the bilateral control of mobile robots and mobile manipulators. These systems have been experimentally implemented in three sites test bed consisting of robotic laboratories in the USA, Hong Kong, and Japan. The experimental results have verified the theoretical development and further demonstrated the stability, event transparency, and event synchronization of the systems.     

TEM Studies of High Temperature Corrosion Behaviour of TiAl Intermetallics with Surface Modifications

The oxidation/sulphidation behaviour of a Ti‐46.7Al‐1.9W‐0.5Si alloy with a TiAl₃ diffusion coating was studied in an environment of H₂/H₂S/H₂O at 850^oC. The kinetic results demonstrate that the TiAl₃ coating significantly increased the high temperature corrosion resistance of Ti‐46.7Al‐1.9W‐0.5Si. The SEM, EDX, XRD and TEM analysis reveals that the formation of an Al₂O₃ scale on the surface of the TiAl₃‐coated sample was responsible for the enhancement of the corroison resistance. The Ti‐46.7Al‐1.9W‐0.5Si alloy was also modified by Nb ion implantation. The Nb ion implanted and as received sampels were subjected to cyclic oxidation in an open air at 800^oC. The Nb ion implantation not only increased the oxidation resistance but also substantially improved the adhesion of scale to the substrate.     

Magnetic Properties of Fe-Doped Rutile

Ball-milling method was applied to dissolve Fe into titanium dioxide (TiO₂). X-ray diffraction indicated the starting anatase changed to a rutile-type structure with oxygen deficiency after ball milling. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray absorption experiments were conducted to examine the possible existence of magnetic impurities in the ball-milled powders after they were leached in HCl solutions. Temperature dependence of the resistivity shows semiconducting behavior and the magnetic hysteresis loops at 5 and 300 K exhibit ferromagnetic characteristics. Fe-doped TiO₂ films were also prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The magnetic properties of the films are discussed.     

Comparison of total and faecal coliforms as faecal indicator in eutrophicated surface water.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of total coliforms (TC) and faecal coliforms (FC) using a membrane filtration method for precise monitoring of faecal pollution in Korean surface water. The samples were collected in Korea from both main rivers and their tributaries. Presumptive TC * FC were enumerated. The ratios of presumptive FC to TC were not constant, but varied widely, and TC were difficult to enumerate because of overgrowth by background colonies. For FC this was not the case. Seven hundred and three purified strains of presumptive TC * FC and their background colonies were biotyped using API 20E. Among 272 presumptive TC, non-faecal related species, Aeromonas hydrophila dominated (34.6%) and E. coli accounted for only 5.1%. In contrast, E. coli made up 89% of the 209 presumptive FC. Furthermore, of 164 background colonies on Endo Agar LES, 54.9% was A. hydrophila, while background colonies on m-FC Agar were few (58 strains), and despite their atypical colony appearance, most of them were biotyped as enteric bacteria. These results reveal that the detection of FC rather than TC using m-FC Agar is more appropriate for faecal pollution monitoring in eutrophicated surface water located in a temperate region.     

Corrected Sum Rule, Generalized Virial Identity and Elementary Excitation Spectrum of Bose–Einstein Condensates at Any Trapped Atom Number

Using a corrected sum rule and a generalized virial identity, we study the analytical expression for entire modes of the collective elementary excitation spectrum in a trapped Bose–Einstein condensate at any atom number. Explicit analytical formulas for the spectrum are obtained for the harmonic traps with both spherical symmetry and axial symmetry using the gaussian approximation for the N-body ground-state wave function of the condensate. These formulas give the simple dependence of all energy levels on the atom numbers, their interaction strength and trap geometry parameters.     

电磁发射兵器用电容器的选取

本文首先从理论上论述了膜电容器的储能密度与寿命之间的关系，对国际电容器制造水平和趋势进行了分析，提出采用干式金属化膜电容器作为储能元件。最后，根据电磁发射兵器整体寿命配合原则，提出高储能密度脉冲电容器的合理寿命指标。