Popular biorthogonal wavelet filters via a lifting scheme and its application in image compression

A technique using a lifting scheme is presented for constructing compactly supported wavelets whose coefficients are composed of free variables locating in an interval. An efficient approach-based wavelet for image compression is developed by selecting the coefficients of the 9-7 wavelet filter and associated lifting scheme. Furthermore, the rationalised coefficients wavelet filter that can be implemented with simple integer arithmetic is achieved and its characteristic is close to the well known original irrational coefficients 9-7 wavelet filters developed by A. Cohen et al. (Commun. Pure Appl. Maths., vol.45, no.1, p.485-560, 1992). To reduce the computational cost of image coding applications further, an acceleration technique is proposed for the lifting steps. Software and hardware simulations show that the new method has very low complexity, and simultaneously preserves the high quality of the compressed image.     

Handover and Uplink Power Control Performance in the 3.84 Mcps TDD mode of UTRA Network

In this article we consider the performance of the 3.84 Mcpstime-division duplex (TDD) mode of UTRA (Universal TerrestrialRadio Access) network. We emphasize two of the radio resourcemanagement algorithms, handover and uplink power control, whoserole in the overall system performance is studied extensively.First, a handover algorithm used in WCDMA (Wideband Code DivisionMultiple Access) standard is considered in a TDD-mode operation.This gives rise to a careful setting of different handoverparameters, and the evaluation of the effects to the systemperformance. Secondly, the specified uplink power controlalgorithm is considered. Since it is based on several user-mademeasurements which may involve both random and systematic errors acareful study about the suitability of the power control scheme iscarried out.     

Oligo(ethylene oxide) side‐chain steric screening effects on conductimetric properties of grafted poly(4‐vinylpyridinium) salts in aqueous solutions

A set of poly[N‐oligo(ethylene oxide)yl 4‐vinylpyridinium tosylate] (P4VOEOOTs) has been prepared by spontaneous polymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine. This method gives a grafted polyelectrolyte having a positive charge on every backbone pyridinic moiety. The P4VP15Ts, P4VP164Ts, P4VP350Ts and P4VP750Ts aqueous solution conductivities were determined in the concentration range from 6 × 10^?4 to 10^?2 M at 25 °C. The variation of the conductivity versus concentration of the investigated system exhibits typical polyelectrolyte behaviour. The polyelectrolyte mobility was found to be dependent on the oligo(ethylene oxide) (OEO) side‐chain length. Manning's rod‐like model fails to describe these results. A simple steric effect is proposed to explain the influence of the OEO length. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of surface charge, micro-bubble size and particle size on removal efficiency of electro-flotation.

Flotation is a water treatment alternative to sedimentation, and uses small bubbles to remove low-density particles from potable water and wastewater. The effect of zeta potential, bubble size and particle size on removal efficiency of the electro-flotation process was investigated because previous model-simulations indicated that these attributes are critical for high collision efficiency between micro-bubbles and particles. Solutions containing Al3+ as the metal ion were subjected to various conditions. The zeta potentials of bubbles and particles were similar under identical conditions, and their charges were influenced by metal ion concentration and pH. Maximum removal efficiency was 98 and 12% in the presence and absence of flocculation, respectively. Removal efficiency was higher when particle size was similar to bubble size. These results agree with modelling simulations and indicate that collision efficiency is greater when the zeta potential of one is negative and that of the other is positive and when their sizes are similar.     

Synthesis and characterization of biocompatible hydroxyapatite coated ferrite

Ferrite particles coated with biocompatible phases can be used for hyperthermia treatment of cancer. We have synthesized substituted calcium hexaferrite, which is not stable on its own but is stabilized with small substitution of La. Hexaferrite of chemical composition (CaO)_0.75(La₂0₃)_0.20(Fe₂O₃)₆ was prepared using citrate gel method. Hydroxyapatite was prepared by precipitating it from aqueous solution of Ca(NO₃)₂ and (NH₄)₂HPO₄ maintaining pH above 11. Four different methods were used for coating of hydroxyapatite on ferrite particles. SEM with EDX and X-ray diffraction analysis shows clear evidence of coating of hydroxyapatite on ferrite particles. These coated ferrite particles exhibited coercive field up to 2 kOe, which could be made useful for hysteresis heating in hyperthermia. Studies by culturing BHK-21 cells and WBC over the samples show evidence of biocompatibility. SEM micrographs and cell counts give clear indication of cell growth on the surface of the sample. Finally coated ferrite particle was implanted in Kasaulli mouse to test its biocompatibility. The magnetic properties and biocompatibility studies show that these hydroxyapatite coated ferrites could be useful for hyperthermia.     

A 1.5-V 45-mW direct-conversion WCDMA receiver IC in 0.13-/spl mu/m CMOS

A 2-GHz direct-conversion receiver for wide-band code division multiple access (WCDMA) is presented. It includes two low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), an I/Q demodulator, and two sixth-order baseband channel select filters with programmable gain. Quadrature local oscillator (LO) signals are generated on chip in a frequency divider flip-flop. An external interstage filter between the LNAs rejects transmitter leakage to relax demodulator linearity requirements. A low-voltage demodulator topology improves linearity as well as demodulator output pole accuracy. The active-RC baseband filter uses a programmable servo loop for offset compensation and provides an adjacent channel rejection of 39 dB. Programmable gain over 71-dB range in 1-dB steps is merged with the filter to maximize dynamic range. An automatic on-chip frequency calibration scheme provides better than 1.5% corner frequency accuracy. The receiver is integrated in a 0.13-/spl mu/m CMOS process with metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors. Measured receiver performance includes a 6.5-dB noise figure, IIP2 of +27 dBm, and IIP3 of -8.6 dBm. Power consumption is 45 mW.     

Assessing stem cell research productivity

Honour Index (HoI), a method to evaluate research performance within different research fields, was derived from the impact factor (IF). It can be used to rate and compare different categories of journals. HoI was used in this study to determine the scientific productivity of stem cell research in the Asian Four Dragons (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan) from 1981 to 2001. The methodology applied in this study represents a synthesis of universal indicator studies and bibliometric analyses of subfields at the micro-level. We discuss several comparisons, and conclude the developmental trend in stem cell research for two decades. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of film thickness on hydrogen content in a-Si : H

The hydrogen content, its depth distribution, and its bonding configuration have been studied in hydrogenated amorphous silicon prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with hydrogen-diluted silane. Nuclear reaction analysis and infrared spectroscopy were used to determine the total amount of hydrogen and its bonded component, respectively. It has been established that the total concentration of hydrogen does not depend on the film thickness, and has a uniform depth profile. The concentration of bonded hydrogen changes with the film thickness within the measurement accuracy. The data obtained suggest the presence of molecular (non-bonded) hydrogen, uniformly distributed in concentration across the film thickness.     

Lateral ion implant straggle and mask proximity effect

Lateral scattering of retrograde well implants is shown to have an effect on the threshold voltage of nearby devices. The threshold voltage of both NMOSFETs and PMOSFETs increases in magnitude for conventional retrograde wells, but for triple-well isolated NMOSFETs the threshold voltage decreases for narrow devices near the edge of the well. Electrical data, SIMS, and SUPREM4 simulations are shown that elucidate the phenomenon.