A reliable overlay video transport protocol for multicast agents in wireless mesh networks

A new video transport protocol for multicast agents in wireless mesh networks (WMNs) is proposed in this paper. The proposed protocol enables a significant reduction in the transmission overhead, while providing reliable communication for its use in multicast applications. This proposed reliable protocol provides a practical approach for an overlay peer‐to‐peer multicast facility supported within the application layer. This obviates the need to give upgraded routers capable of handling multicast broadcasting or modify the existing protocol stack. The protocol tolerates partial losses in multimedia transmissions, while supporting control of the delay sensitivity of such transmissions in WMNs. The key issue in this protocol is the ability to detect packet loss, anticipate retransmission requests, and use the anticipated retransmission requests to transmit the lost packets prior to requests from other receiving agents. The proposed protocol allows for the receiver to determine if retransmission of lost packets is required, ensuring the greatest flexibility needed for a reliable multicast protocol. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enabling multiparty karaoke over Internet based on low‐level computers: practice and experiment

Karaoke is a system for amateur singing. The traditional online karaoke system does not allow multi‐singers to sing a song in one session. This study designs and implements multiparty karaoke over Internet (MKI) based on low‐level computers. The MKI is an online karaoke system of distributed architecture that allows multi‐singers to sing a song in one session. The MKI must deal with the problems of feedback, asynchronous audio latency at singers’ nodes, round‐trip latency at an inviter's node, and multi‐singers singing a song in one session. The acoustic isolation between microphone and speakers avoids feedback. Network Time Protocol avoids asynchronous audio latency. The third method's round‐trip latency in this study is within 86 ms, and all participants experience the simultaneous singing of the inviter and the invitees. MKI can be used for increasing leisure time, singing skills, and interpersonal relationships. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of maximum elevation angle probability density function to macroscopic selection diversity in low earth orbiting satellite constellation systems

In a low earth orbiting satellite constellation of communication satellites, the so‐called macroscopic selection‐diversity (SD) scheme selects the satellite with the maximum elevation angle among the visible satellites as being capable of providing the best quality link for signal propagation. To evaluate the performance of this scheme, we developed a model based on macroscopic SD to describe the probability density function of the maximum elevation angles from an earth station to each visible satellite. The model has the advantage of not involving orbital simulations for data collection, thus avoiding statistical processing as well as curve fitting. We evaluated the model by using it to simulate the bit‐error‐rate performance of binary‐phase‐shift‐keying modulation in the Globalstart‐like Walker 48/8/1 satellite constellation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Joint Optimization of User Set Selection and Transmit Power Allocation for Orthogonal Random Beamforming in Multiuser MIMO Systems

When the number of users is finite, the performance improvement of the orthogonal random beamforming (ORBF) scheme is limited in high signal‐to‐noise ratio regions. In this paper, to improve the performance of the ORBF scheme, the user set and transmit power allocation are jointly determined to maximize sum rate under the total transmit power constraint. First, the transmit power allocation problem is expressed as a function of a given user set. Based on this expression, the optimal user set with the maximum sum rate is determined. The suboptimal procedure is also presented to reduce the computational complexity, which separates the user set selection procedure and transmit power allocation procedure.     

CdSe-sensitized inorganic–organic heterojunction solar cells: The effect of molecular dipole interface modification and surface passivation

CdSe-sensitized heterojunction solar cells composed of mesoscopic TiO₂/CdSe/P3HT (poly-3-hexylthiophene) were constructed, and the negative molecular dipole of 4-methoxybenzenethiol (MBT) and the ZnS passivation layer were used as interface modifiers to improve device performance. Through the interface modification between TiO₂/CdSe and P3HT using MBT and by ZnS surface passivation, the power conversion efficiency of the modified solar cell was greatly enhanced from 1.02% to 1.62% under 1 sun illumination.     

Link optimization for energy‐constrained wireless networks with packet retransmissions

With the objective to minimize the energy consumption for packet based communications in energy‐constrained wireless networks, this paper establishes a theoretical model for the joint optimization of the parameters at the physical layer and data link layer. Multilevel quadrature amplitude modulation (MQAM) and automatic repeat request (ARQ) techniques are considered in the system model. The optimization problem is formulated into a three dimensional nonlinear integer programming (NIP) problem with the modulation order, packet size, and retransmission limit as variables. For the retransmission limit, a simple search method is applied to degenerate the three dimensional problem into a two dimensional NIP problem, for which two optimization algorithms are proposed. One is the successive quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm, combining with the continuous relaxation based branch‐and‐bound method, which can obtain the global optimal solution since the continuous relaxation problem is proved to be hidden convex. The other is a low‐complexity sub‐optimal iterative algorithm, combining with the nearest‐neighboring method, which can be implemented with a polynomial complexity. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the optimization solution, which suggests that the joint optimization of the physical/data link layer parameters contributes noticeably to the energy saving in energy‐constrained wireless networks. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prestoring Lithium into Stable 3D Nickel Foam Host as Dendrite‐Free Lithium Metal Anode

Lithium metal is considered a “Holy Grail” of anode materials for high‐energy‐density batteries. However, both dendritic lithium deposition and infinity dimension change during long‐term cycling have extremely restricted its practical applications for energy storage devices. Here, a thermal infusion strategy for prestoring lithium into a stable nickel foam host is demonstrated and a composite anode is achieved. In comparison with the bare lithium, the composite anode exhibits stable voltage profiles (200 mV at 5.0 mA cm^?2) with a small hysteresis beyond 100 cycles in carbonate‐based electrolyte, as well as high rate capability, significantly reduced interfacial resistance, and small polarization in a full‐cell battery with Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ or LiFePO₄ as counter electrode. More importantly, in addition to the fact that lithium is successfully confined in the metallic nickel foam host, uniform lithium plating/stripping is achieved with a low dimension change (merely ≈3.1%) and effective inhibition of dendrite formation. The mechanism for uniform lithium stripping/plating behavior is explained based on a surface energy model.     

Ag/Ni Metallization Bilayer: A Functional Layer for Highly Efficient Polycrystalline SnSe Thermoelectric Modules

The structural and electrical characteristics of Ag/Ni bilayer metallization on polycrystalline thermoelectric SnSe were investigated. Two difficulties with thermoelectric SnSe metallization were identified for Ag and Ni single layers: Sn diffusion into the Ag metallization layer and unexpected cracks in the Ni metallization layer. The proposed Ag/Ni bilayer was prepared by hot-pressing, demonstrating successful metallization on the SnSe surface without interfacial cracks or elemental penetration into the metallization layer. Structural analysis revealed that the Ni layer reacts with SnSe, forming several crystalline phases during metallization that are beneficial for reducing contact resistance. Detailed investigation of the Ni/SnSe interface layer confirms columnar Ni-Sn intermetallic phases [(Ni₃Sn and Ni₃Sn₂) and Ni_5.63SnSe₂] that suppress Sn diffusion into the Ag layer. Electrical specific-contact resistivity (5.32 × 10^?4 Ω cm²) of the Ag/Ni bilayer requires further modification for development of high-efficiency polycrystalline SnSe thermoelectric modules.     

Consideration of chiral optical fibres

Circular birefringence is a property of chiral materials. In this work, we consider the use of chiral materials in optical fibres to produce circularly birefringent optical fibres and in fibres where a contrast in circular birefringence contributes to forming the waveguide. (-)-menthyl methacrylate is also investigated as a possible material for the fabrication of such fibres.