Catching the wave: real-time tsunami warning systems

People all over the world witnessed the fear of a tsunami following the Indian Ocean earthquake that struck on 26 December 2004. Many people may have learned the word and the phenomenon of a tsunami for the first time from this catastrophe. The word "tsunami" (meaning "harbor wave") comes from the Japanese language, and Japan has suffered considerable damage from such natural disasters. Therefore, Japan's research regarding tsunami is active. This research consists of various approaches including experiments, numerical computations, and social sciences, among others. This article introduces the research of a numerical computation, particularly the research of the real-time warning system of a tsunami.     

Emerging Technologies [wireless communication systems for implantable medical devices]

The reference to wireless medical telemetry includes measurement and recording of physiological parameters and other patient-related information via radiated electromagnetic signals. This paper discusses matters concerning the design of such wireless systems and review several existing and future clinical applications. The potential advantages of remote monitoring of implantable devices could include timely monitoring of clinical events and symptoms, a reduction in routine patient follow-up, closer monitoring of device longevity that may extend usage, and reduced patient transport costs. The development of new diagnostics techniques could highly benefit from the wide deployment of wireless solutions as data computation and analysis tasks could be seamlessly shared between the implanted devices and their paired external appliances.     

Recent developments in the pressure wave propagation method - [Feature Article]

Performing measurements is an essential part of understanding physical phenomena. Hence, numerous measuring techniques have been developed to study space charge build-up in dielectrics. This macroscopic accumulation of charge modifies the electric field and can lead to aging and premature failure of electrical insulation. On the other hand, charge accumulation is essential to the operation of devices such as electret- or piezoelectric-based sensors. It is therefore essential to study charge build-up in order to design insulating materials in which excessive charge does not accumulate, or electrets in which a sufficiently large amount of charge accumulates to ensure adequate device operation, and the stability of that charge in time is sufficient to ensure an acceptable device life-time. This paper focuses on the measurement method using a pressure wave to perturb the charges. That method is commonly called the pressure-wave-propagation (PWP) method. A pressure wave enters the sample through one of its interfaces. As it travels through the material at the velocity of sound, the charges encountered are mechanically displaced.     

Asymmetric discretization of wave equation as boundary condition inmodal analysis [integrated optics]

A general method of deriving finite-difference schemes suitable for the discretization of the wave equation along the boundary of a simulation region has been developed, thereby eliminating the need of artificially imposed boundary conditions for modal calculations. Its effectiveness is demonstrated through examples     

Citizens, groups, communities, and information and communication technologies [Guest Editors' Introduction]

The six articles in this special issue are revised versions of papers presented at the 2008 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS '08), held in June 2008 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Four papers delve into community and technology issues in Canada, and two investigate technology use by other communities: Mexican immigrants in the U.S., and the Chinese diaspora.     

Unified matrix presentation of Maxwell's and wave equations usinggeneralized differential matrix operators [EM engineeringeducation]

In this paper, the authors introduce the concept of generalized differential matrix operators (GDMOs) that are useful for the formulation of electromagnetic boundary value problems in arbitrary orthogonal coordinate systems, e.g., Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical. The most significant attribute of the GDMO approach is that their use helps to simplify the complicated manipulation of vector differential equations, especially in problems dealing with an anisotropic media. They show that the use of the GDMOs enable one to replace, for most problems in electromagnetics, the complicated vector differential operations with manipulation of 3×3 matrices. In addition, they demonstrate GDMOs are convenient for deriving many differentiation identities and integral theorems which find extensive applications in electromagnetics     

the eccentric engineer [History]

I DON?T KNOW why I didn?t think of it before. It could put an end to our dependence on fossil fuels and solve global warming. All we need to do is crack perpetual motion. There is a long and generally less than illustrious history of perpetual motion engineering which, despite many centuries of failed experiments in the face of the unforgiving laws of thermodynamics, shows no sign of abating     

Fighting the tyrants [Espionage]

Bond. James Bond. A name as famous as any in fiction. Ian Fleming, at the time a middleaged journalist, created his hero in 1952. In addition to Fleming?s 12 novels, Bond went on to become an iconic film franchise, a global brand, and perhaps the person whom many men would secretly most want to be.     

电力载波通讯智能家庭监控系统

介绍以电力线作通讯介质的智能家庭监控系统的解决方案，分析了该系统的基本结构和组成模块，阐述了系统软硬件设计。     

Fighting the fakes [analysis]

The UK Electronics Alliance intends to launch a website to let engineers share information on fake components in an attempt to stem the flow of damaging counterfeits from the Far East.     

Reading the mind [Neuro]

?Imagine a general brainreading device that could reconstruct a picture of a person?s visual experience at any moment in time,? says Dr Jack Gallant, head of the research team and assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.     

库底吸收对重力坝动力响应的影响分析

水库库底吸收是重力坝-地基-库水系统在地震作用下相互作用中的重要组成部分。本文基于声固耦合方法结合阻抗边界条件可以对水库库底吸收进行模拟,通过算例验证可知无论是激励频率相同库底反射系数不同还是激励频率不同库底反射系数相同两种情况都可以得到准确的坝面动水压力分布曲线。通过对丰满新建重力坝的分析可以得到的结论为不同库底反射系数对坝面动水压力分布有显著影响,动水压力幅值随着库底反射系数的增加而变大,坝体动力响应也随之变大;讨论了丰满老坝对新坝坝面动水压力分布的影响,由于上游老坝的存在,新坝整个坝面上动水压力幅值明显变大。     

Books [Network]

It represents the single largest industrial investment in human history, and the US National Academy of Engineering has declared it the greatest engineering achievement of the previous century. Yet the only time most of us give the electricity grid a second thought is on those rare occasions when it fails.