Local Convergence of the Lavrentiev Method for the Cauchy Problem via a Carleman Inequality

The purpose is to perform a sharp analysis of the Lavrentiev method applied to the regularization of the ill-posed Cauchy problem, set in the Steklov-Poincaré variational framework. Global approximation results have been stated earlier that demonstrate that the Lavrentiev procedure yields a convergent strategy. However, no convergence rates are available unless a source condition is assumed on the exact Cauchy solution. We pursue here bounds on the approximation (bias) and the noise propagation (variance) errors away from the incomplete boundary where instabilities are located. The investigation relies on a Carleman inequality that enables enhanced local convergence rates for both bias and variance errors without any particular smoothness assumption on the exact solution. These improved results allows a new insight on the behavior of the Lavrentiev solution, look similar to those established for the Quasi-Reversibility method in [Inverse Problems 25, 035005, 2009]. There is a case for saying that this sort of ??super-convergence?? is rather inherent to the nature of the Cauchy problem and any reasonable regularization procedure would enjoy the same locally super-convergent behavior.     

A new scheme for covert communication via 3G encoded speech

Mobile communication through 3G network has grown rapidly in recent years. It might be of interest to transmit secret messages over 3G voice channels. In this paper, we introduce a new covert communication scheme via Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband (AMR-WB) encoded speech. An adaptive suboptimal pulse combination constrained (ASOPCC) method is presented to embed data on compressed speech signal of AMR-WB codec. The method takes advantage of the “redundancy”, created by non-exhaustive search of algebraic codebook, to encode secret information. An embedding factor η is used to control embedding bits. By properly setting η, ASOPCC can offer a better trade-off between speech quality and embedding capacity in the process of coding mode switching. Experimental results show that the proposed method is quite promising for both high capacity and good imperceptivity. Although ASOPCC is only applied to AMR-WB codec in this article, it can be further used by any other speech coding based on Algebraic Coded Exited Linear Prediction (ACELP).     

Segmentation of cervical cell nuclei in high-resolution microscopic images: A new algorithm and a web-based software framework

In order to automate cervical cancer screening tests, one of the most important and longstanding challenges is the segmentation of cell nuclei in the stained specimens. Though nuclei of isolated cells in high-quality acquisitions often are easy to segment, the problem lies in the segmentation of large numbers of nuclei with various characteristics under differing acquisition conditions in high-resolution scans of the complete microscope slides. We implemented a system that enables processing of full resolution images, and proposes a new algorithm for segmenting the nuclei under adequate control of the expert user. The system can work automatically or interactively guided, to allow for segmentation within the whole range of slide and image characteristics. It facilitates data storage and interaction of technical and medical experts, especially with its web-based architecture. The proposed algorithm localizes cell nuclei using a voting scheme and prior knowledge, before it determines the exact shape of the nuclei by means of an elastic segmentation algorithm. After noise removal with a mean-shift and a median filtering takes place, edges are extracted with a Canny edge detection algorithm. Motivated by the observation that cell nuclei are surrounded by cytoplasm and their shape is roughly elliptical, edges adjacent to the background are removed. A randomized Hough transform for ellipses finds candidate nuclei, which are then processed by a level set algorithm. The algorithm is tested and compared to other algorithms on a database containing 207 images acquired from two different microscope slides, with promising results.     

The influence of music on mood and performance while driving

Mood can influence our everyday behaviour and people often seek to reinforce, or to alter their mood, for example by turning on music. Music listening while driving is a popular activity. However, little is known about the impact of music listening while driving on physiological state and driving performance. In the present experiment, it was investigated whether individually selected music can induce mood and maintain moods during a simulated drive. In addition, effects of positive, negative, and no music on driving behaviour and physiological measures were assessed for normal and high cognitive demanding rides. Subjective mood ratings indicated that music successfully maintained mood while driving. Narrow lane width drives increased task demand as shown in effort ratings and increased swerving. Furthermore, respiration rate was lower during music listening compared to rides without music, while no effects of music were found on heart rate. Overall, the current study demonstrates that music listening in car influences the experienced mood while driving, which in turn can impact driving behaviour. PRACTITIONERS SUMMARY: Even though it is a popular activity, little is known about the impact of music while driving on physiological state and performance. We examined whether music can induce moods during high and low simulated drives. The current study demonstrates that in car music listening influences mood which in turn can impact driving behaviour. The current study shows that listening to music can positively impact mood while driving, which can be used to affect state and safe behaviour. Additionally, driving performance in high demand situations is not negatively affected by music.     

Unconventional Field Dependence of Magnetoresistance of (TMTSF)2ClO4 Studied by 46-T Pulsed Magnetic Field System

A new TTP donor, Me-DH-TTP (2-methyl-5-(1,3-dithiolan-2-yliden)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene), was designed to realize a system with large on-site Coulomb repulsion as compared with the previously known bis-fused type TTP donors. Probably as a consequence, (Me-DH-TTP)₂AsF₆ exhibits semiconducting behavior from room temperature to liquid helium temperature. By increasing pressure, metallic behavior appears below 300 K, and with distinct metal-insulator (M-I) transition up to 2.2 GPa. This M-I transition suddenly disappears beyond 2.5 GPa, and metallic state is stabilized down to 2.6 K. We discuss the possibility of quantum critical point around 2.4 GPa.     

Channel identifiability under orthogonal space-time coded modulations without training

Space-time block coded (STBC) transmission has been established as an efficient tool to enhance communication performance over wireless fading channels. The success of STBC decoding relies on accurate channel knowledge at receivers. In this work, we present a channel estimation approach that does not require training data to estimate unknown channels. Focusing on STBC from orthogonal designs, we present channel identification conditions that are largely verifiable in terms of the code and the antenna array configuration. We also develop a simple subspace-based algorithm to identify the unknown space-time channel matrix for complex transmission. Finally, we present simulation test results to illustrate the performance of the proposed method.     

元启发搜索技术在测试数据产生中应用研究

提出一种使用元启发搜索技术产生测试数据的方法。这种方法能够针对测试中低概率执行部分产生测试数据，提高测试覆盖率，并通过实验举例说明了该方法的可行性。     

从电解铝工业生命周期评价看能源、环境对产业结构的制约

以货币量化为手段计算了电解铝工业生命周期内的主要污染排放造成的环境成本，并综合电解铝工业的生产成本、整个生命周期内能源耗费、环境成本衡量了电解铝厂的经济发展状况，进一步探讨了能源、环境对产业结构的制约。     

Exact computation of infimum for a class of continuous-time H∞ optimal control problem with a nonzero direct feedthrough term from the disturbance input to the controlled output

A noniterative method for the computation of infimum for a class of continuous-time H_∞ optimal control problem is considered in this paper. The problem formulation is fairly general and does not place any restrictions on any direct feedthrough terms of the given systems. The method is applicable to systems where (i) the transfer function from the disturbance input to the measurement output is free of imaginary axis invariant zeros and left invertible, and (ii) the transfer function from the control input to the controlled output of the given system is free of imaginary axis invariant zeros and right invertible. The result presented in this paper is a continuation of the previous work of the author and his co-workers (Chen et al., 1992), in which the direct feedthrough term from the disturbance input to the measurement output of the given system are required to be zero.