BTAC: A Busy Tone Based Cooperative MAC Protocol for Wireless Local Area Networks

Cooperative communications has been actively studied as an effective approach to achieve multi-user/spatial diversity gains and better overall system performance by coordinating multiple users in a dynamic wireless network to share their resources and capabilities. Based on the concept of cooperative communications, this paper proposes and analyzes a Busy Tone based cooperative Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol, namely BTAC, for multi-rate Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). A cross-layer Markov chain model is then developed to evaluate the performance of BTAC under dynamic wireless channel conditions. Analytical and simulation results show our BTAC protocol is simple, robust, fully compatible with the IEEE 802.11b standard and can achieve better throughput and delay performance than the standard Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) protocol and the recently-proposed CoopMAC protocol.     

Codage audio haute qualité (20 Hz-15 kHz) en sous bandes à débit réduit (64 kbit/s) et à faible retard (5 ms)

In this paper, we present a new method for high quality audio coding at low delay and low bit rate for telecommunications applications such as audioconfe-rence or videoconference. The developped coder is adapted to code generic audio signals at a bit rate of 64 kbit/s with a delay close to 5 ms in the 20-15000 Hz bandwidth. The method is based on speech coding as well as audio coding concepts. The coder combines subband decomposition of the input signal and LD-CELP techniques. We introduce in this structure of coding a psychoacoustic model which allows to allocate an optimal bit rate on each subband according to perceptual properties of the human hearing. In order to satisfy the bit rate requirement of the psychoacoustic model and to reduce the complexity of such a coding algorithm, we suggested a new method of vector quantization based on lattice quantization. This method allows to quantify the residual signal in the LD-CELP coder and avoid the complexity of the full search. Objective and subjective tests have been made on a test set of audio signals which is a critical sub-set used by ISO. Formal tests showed that the quality of the proposed coder is comparable to the best implementation of the MPEG-1, Layer II, but our solution has the advantage of reaching a very low delay (5 ms).     

An efficient column generation design method of p-cycle-based protected working capacity envelope

The protected working capacity envelope (PWCE) concept was proposed by Grover (2004) in order to simplify network operations and management in survivable wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks. In this paper, we focus on the design of PCWE and investigate a new design method based on column generation (CG) for designing survivable WDM networks based on p-cycle PWCE. Proposed design algorithms for PWCE and p-cycle proceed in two steps: A first step where a large (sometimes huge) number of cycles is enumerated followed by a second step where the selection of the most promising p-cycles is made with the help of combinatorial optimization tools. In this paper, we develop a new (single-step) method based on large scale optimization tools, that is, CG techniques, where the generation of cycles is dynamic and embedded within the optimization process. The key advantage of CG techniques is that no a priori cycle enumeration step is required ahead of the optimization process: The generation of the relevant cycles, only one or few at a time, is embedded in the optimization process. We conducted intensive computational experiments to compare the performances of our CG algorithms with four other algorithms in the literature. The different algorithms were compared with regard to several design metrics and running time. Results obtained in the experiments on five different network instances show that the CG-based algorithm outperforms by far all proposed algorithms in the literature, both with respect to the scalability (much smaller computing times for large network instances) and also with respect to the quality of the solutions.     

Comprehensive Characterization of Pond Ash and Pond Ash Slurries for Hydraulic Stowing in Underground Coal Mines

In this study, the physicochemical and self-heating characteristics of pond ashes from Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS), located in the Angul district of the Indian state of Odisha are studied. The study revealed that the TTPS pond ashes belong to Class F fly ash category consisting mainly of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and Fe₂O₃, with a small amount of CaO. The presence of mineral phases, namely, quartz, mullite, magnetite, and hematite in the pond ash are confirmed by x-ray diffraction. Based on the pond ash properties, various properties of the slurries of one representative pond ash, namely, density, volume concentration, and viscosity are determined by varying the ash concentration from 45% to 65% with an increment of 5%. As well, the critical deposition velocities of slurries as a function of slurry concentration and pipe diameter are determined. The results showed that the slurry viscosity increases exponentially with increase in solid content and the critical velocity increases linearly with increase in slurry concentration and pipe diameter. The relationships generated through regression analysis can be used to quickly predict the critical velocity of similar types of ash slurries for any known slurry concentrations and pipe sizes.     

Circularly symmetric phase filters for control of primary third-order aberrations: coma and astigmatism

A quartic phase retardation function is described that reduces the variation of the intensity of the focal point of incoherent imaging systems suffering from primary third-order aberrations limited to coma and astigmatism. Corresponding modulation transfer functions are shown to remain practically invariant for moderate amounts of coma and astigmatism.     

A study of physico-chemical and mineralogical properties of Talcher coal fly ash for stowing in underground coal mines

This study examines the suitability of Talcher coal fly ash for stowing in the nearby underground coal mines based on their physico-chemical and mineralogical analysis. The physical properties such as bulk density, specific gravity, particle size distribution, porosity, permeability and water holding capacity etc. have been determined. From the chemical characterization it is found that the ash samples are enriched predominantly in silica (SiO₂), alumina (Al₂O₃) and iron oxides (Fe₂O₃), along with a little amount of CaO, and fall under the Class F fly ash category. In addition, the mineral phases identified in the ash samples are quartz, mullite, magnetite, and hematite. The particle morphological analysis revealed that the ash particles are almost spherical in shape and the bulk ash porous in nature. From the particle size and permeability point of view, pond ash may be considered a better stowing material than fly ash.     

In vitro evaluation of human osteoblast adhesion to a thermally oxidized γ-TiAl intermetallic alloy of composition Ti–48Al–2Cr–2Nb (at.%)

Ti–48Al–2Cr–2Nb (at.%) (γ-TiAl), a gamma titanium aluminide alloy originally designed for aerospace applications, appears to have excellent potential as implant material. Thermal treatment of γ-TiAl renders this alloy extremely corrosion resistant in vitro, which could improve its biocompatibility. In this study, the surface oxides produced by thermal oxidation (at 500°C, and at 800°C for 1 h in air) on γ-TiAl were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). hFOB 1.19 cell adhesion on thermally oxidized γ-TiAl was examined in vitro by a hexosaminidase assay, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) after 1, 7 and 14 days. Ti–6Al–4V surfaces were used for comparison. Hexosaminidase assay data and CLSM analysis of focal contacts and cytoskeleton organization showed no differences in cell attachment on autoclaved and both heat-treated γ-TiAl surfaces at the different time points. SEM images showed well organized multi-layers of differentiated cells adhered on thermally oxidized γ-TiAl surfaces at day 14. Unexpectedly, thermally oxidized Ti–6Al–4V surfaces oxidized at 800°C exhibited cytotoxic effects on hFOB 1.19 cells. Our results indicate that thermal oxidation of γ-TiAl seems to be a promising method to generate highly corrosion resistant and biocompatible surfaces for implant applications.     

Effect of fillers and nitrile blended PVC on natural rubber/high styrene rubber with nanosilica blends: Morphology and wear

The blends of high styrene rubber (HSR) and natural rubber (NR) with nitrile blended PVC (NVC) and nanosilica are prepared by using a blending technique in presence of different types of carbon black. The effect of filler on morphological and wear characteristics is studied. ISAF type of carbon black have showed a significant effect on optimum cure time, cure rate index and mechanical properties by reacting at the interface between NVC, HSR and NR matrix. All the samples show only one melting peak on the DSC curve; this is attributed to the same backbone structure of the matrix and the carbon black reinforcement. The samples containing 20 wt.% of NVC with ISAF N234 type of carbon black has shown maximum heat buildup and lower compression set value. Blends containing ISAF type of carbon black with 20 wt.% of NVC shows high abrasion resistant properties against Du-Pont abrader, DIN abrader and different mining rock surfaces and also is found to be the toughest rubber against all types of rock. Coal is identified the main abrader against the rubber blends under this study.     

Analysis of shear-deformable composite beams in postbuckling

The nonlinear response of composite beams modeled according to higher-order shear deformation theories in postbuckling is investigated. The beam ends are restrained from axial movement, and as a result the contribution of the midplane stretching is considered. The equations of motion and the boundary conditions are derived using Hamilton’s principle. The shear deformation effect on the critical buckling load and static postbuckling response is introduced using classical, first-order, and higher-order shear deformation theories. This paper presents an exact solution for the static postbuckling response of a symmetrically laminated simply supported shear-deformable composite beam. The shear effect is shown to have a significant contribution to both the buckling and postbuckling behaviors. Results of this analysis show that classical and first-order theories underestimate the amplitude of buckling while all higher-order theories, considered in this study, yield very close results for the static postbuckling response.     

Arc process parameters for single-walled carbon nanotube growth and production: experiments and modeling

Collarets rich in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been grown using a direct current arc method. Arc process parameters such as current, pressure, and anode to cathode distance were varied experimentally and by modeling to provide an optimal working window. The best collaret yields were obtained when helium was used as a buffer gas. Mixing helium with argon in the buffer permits controlling nanotube diameters. In addition to an experimental study, a modeling approach was developed assuming local thermal equilibrium and homogenous and heterogeneous neutral chemistry. The gas-phase chemical model involves 81 neutral carbon species (C1, C2, . . ., C79, C60F, C70F) and 554 reactions with rates taken from data of Krestinin and Moravsky. Axial profiles of temperature, C atom, C2 radical, and fullerene distributions in the reactor are predicted as a function of process parameters. Carbon nanotube growth is considered by a set of surface reactions simulating open nanotube growth. Because nanotube surface chemistry is controlled by the local terminated bond and not by the bulk nanotube bond, a mechanistic approach based on the formal resemblance between the bonding and the structure of open nanotube and other carbon surfaces is proposed to explain nanotube growth. Predicted growth rates are in the range of 100 to 1000 microm/min.