Semantic clustering for region-based image retrieval

With the proliferation of applications that demand content-based image retrieval, two merits are becoming more desirable. The first is the reduced search space, and the second is the reduced “semantic gap.” This paper proposes a semantic clustering scheme to achieve these two goals. By performing clustering before image retrieval, the search space can be significantly reduced. The proposed method is different from existing image clustering methods as follows: (1) it is region based, meaning that image sub-regions, instead of the whole image, are grouped into. The semantic similarities among image regions are collected over the user query and feedback history; (2) the clustering scheme is dynamic in the sense that it can evolve to include more new semantic categories. Ideally, one cluster approximates one semantic concept or a small set of closely related semantic concepts, based on which the “semantic gap” in the retrieval is reduced.     

Structure–Thermodynamic‐Property Relationships in Cyanovinyl‐Based Microporous Polymer Networks for the Future Design of Advanced Carbon Capture Materials

Nitrogen‐rich solid absorbents, which have been immensely tested for carbon dioxide capture, seem until this date to be without decisive molecular engineering or design rules. Here, a family of cyanovinylene‐based microporous polymers synthesized under metal‐catalyzed conditions is reported as a promising candidate for advanced carbon capture materials. These networks reveal that isosteric heats of CO₂ adsorption are directly proportional to the amount of their functional group. Motivated by this finding, polymers produced under base‐catalyzed conditions with tailored quantities of cyanovinyl content confirm the systematical tuning of their sorption enthalpies to reach 40 kJ mol^?1. This value is among the highest reported to date in carbonaceous networks undergoing physisorption. A six‐point‐plot reveals that the structure–thermodynamic‐property relationship is linearly proportional and can thus be perfectly fitted to tailor‐made values prior to experimental measurements. Dynamic simulations show a bowl‐shaped region within which CO₂ is able to sit and interact with its conjugated surrounding, while theoretical calculations confirm the increase of binding sites with the increase of Ph? C?C(CN)? Ph functionality in a network. This concept presents a distinct method for the future design of carbon dioxide capturing materials.     

252 km repeaterless 10 Gb/s transmission demonstration

Using a practical erbium-doped fiber postamplifier, a dual-stage optical preamplifier, a lithium niobate Mach-Zehnder external modulator and a dispersion-shifted line fiber, IM/DD repeaterless transmission over 252 km at 10 Gb/s with a wavelength-independent receiver sensitivity in the 1530-1565-nm range is achieved     

Determination of scattering parameters of junctions associated with electromagnetic topology

This paper is dedicated to the determination of topological S parameters in the transmission line networks. We are especially interested in ideal junctions which consist of short circuit connections. For this type of junctions, it is impossible to deduce the S parameters from the usual impedance or admittance matrices which are not defined in this case. We suggest a method allowing a direct calculation of S. This procedure is described and then carried out for a two wire fork. At last, an experimental application is given for this model.     

Compilation Methods for the Address Calculation Units of Embedded Processor Systems

An essential component of today's embedded system is an instruction-set processor running real-time software. All variations of these core components contain at least the minimum data-flow processing capabilities, while a certain class contain specialized units for highly data-intensive operations for Digital Signal Processing (DSP). For the required level of memory interaction, the parallel executing Address Calculation Unit (ACU) is often used to tune the architecture to the memory access characteristics of the application. The design of the ACU is performance critical. In today's typical design flow, this design task is somewhat driven by intuition as the transformation from application algorithm to architecture is complex and the exploration space is immense. Automatic utilities to aid the designer are essential; however, the key compilation techniques which map high-level language constructs onto addressing units have lagged far behind the emergence of these units. This paper presents a new retargetable approach and prototype tool for the analysis of array references and traversals for efficient use of ACUs. In addition to being an enhancement to existing compiler systems, the ArrSyn utility may be used as an aid to architecture exploration. A simple specification of the addressing resources and basic operations drives the available transformations and allows the designer to quickly evaluate the effects on speed and code size of his/her algorithm. Thus, the designer can tune the design of the ACU toward the application constraints. ArrSyn has been successfully used together with a C compiler developed for a VLIW architecture for an MPEG audio decoding application. The combination of these methods with the C compiler showed on average a 39% speedup and 29% code size reduction for a representative set of DSP benchmarks.     

A full-wave analysis of interconnection planar lines applications to structures with finite ground plane

The high integration level associated to the increase of the operating frequency of microelectronic integrated circuits create complex electromagnetic coupling in the interconnection lines which lead to mismatch and frequency dispersion. In the present paper, we propose a full-wave analysis to characterise the electromagnetic behaviour of interconnection planar lines using mixed-potential integral equations technique. The theoretical and numerical treatments of Green’s functions for the specific structures are firstly presented. The calculated results for parallel and coplanar strips are compared to the published ones. The effect of the finite ground plane on the propagation constant and the characteristic impedance is then analysed for different permittivities. The obtained theoretical and experimental results for the reflection coefficient of straight resonators confirm finally the observed effect of the finite ground plane on the frequency dispersion and the scattering characteristics.     

Phonon Dynamics at Surfaces and Interfaces and Its Implications in Energy Transport in Nanostructured Materials—An opinion Paper

Nanoscale thermal transport has attracted considerable attention because of both fundamental scientific interest and important engineering applications. For semiconductors and insulators, energy transport is dominated by phonons, whose behavior at surfaces and interfaces plays a significant role in energy transport processes. In this article, we present opinions on phonon dynamics at surfaces and interfaces and the implications on nanoscale thermal transport. The effects of roughness, bonding strength, coherence, and nanoscale constrictions are discussed. The existence of two specularity parameters at an interface (separate values for transmitted and reflected phonons) and the implications of phonon reflection at free surfaces to the thermal conductance of nearby interfaces are two concepts that have not been previously discussed in the literature. We provide some outlook and potential topics for future studies.     

The growth of GaN on lithium gallate (LiGaO2) substrates for material integration

Compliant substrates offer a new approach for strain management in semiconductors. Various implementations and processes for achieving substrate compliancy have been proposed and demonstrated. These include the use of twist-, glass-, and metal-bonds. A recent focus in our work has been on the growth of GaN on a novel and easily removable substrate—lithium gallate—for the ultimate regrowth on a bonded GaN template. The bonding technology is important to reduce thermal stresses during the regrowth step. Herein, we focus on the understanding of the growth of GaN on lithium gallate.     

Passive alignment optical subassemblies for military/aerospacefiber-optic transmitter/receiver modules

Under the DARPA sponsored Avionics Optoelectronic Module Technology program, new passive alignment carrier (PAC) optical subassemblies (LED-PAC and PIN-PAC) ruggedized for military/aerospace avionics fiber-optic transmitter and receiver applications have been developed, LED-PAC and PIN-PAC silicon micro-optical bench substrates were fabricated together on a 5 in diameter silicon wafer via multistage photolithography, thin-film, and substrate processing. Alignment v-grooves designed for passive optical alignment of 100/140 μm multimode optical fiber to the optoelectronic devices were terminated by solder locking the fiber to the silicon PAC substrates. The LED-PAC comprising a surface emitting LED die-bonded onto a novel precision molded AM submount passively mounted onto the silicon microbench achieves the required high coupling efficiency to 100/140 μm multimode optical fiber to meet stringent avionics transmitter output power requirements. The 100/130 μm multimode optical fiber-pigtailed PIN-PAC with a refractive lens etched into the p-i-n photodiode backside surface exhibited responsivities greater than 0.8 A/W at 1.3 μm wavelength. The LED-PAC and PIN-PAC optical subassemblies integrated with Boeing ARINC 636 (FDDI) transmitter and receiver thick film multichip (MCM-C) circuitry are capable of meeting both ARINC 636 and FDDI physical layer requirements