Performance Analysis of the Spectral Correlation Discriminator Array

Mobile communications suffer from cochannel interference, adjacent channel interference and fading. The cell capacity or the number of users per cell is limited by the interference. In this paper we analyze a new blind adaptive array structure called the spectral correlation discriminator array (SCDA), designed to reject cochannel interference for advanced mobile phone service (AMPS) signals. The blind adaptive array exploits the spectral redundancy in the AMPS signals which arises due to the presence of the supervisory audio tone (SAT). SCDA is shown to provide an improvement of 25–30 dB in signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) in static multipath channels and 10–15 dB improvement of SINR in Rayleigh fading channels. The SCDA is compared to the least squares constant modulus array (LSCMA) and is shown to have better signal selectivity properties. The reduction in interference power can significantly reduce the frequency reuse factor.     

Experimental-theoretical Landau energy level data and its use in making p-Ge laser transition assignments

Landau energy levels are determined from cyclotron resonance absorption data and compared to theoretical calculations. Energy level diagrams are presented to graphically display the nonequal energy level spacings and identify absorption transitions. This information is then used to make transition assignments responsible for the p-Ge laser signals seen by V. N. Shastin et al. and C. Kremser et al. This work suggests that the p-Ge laser yields signals via the following transitions: (a) the expected cyclotron transitions for Δn=1, (b) harmonic cyclotron transitions for Δn=2, 3, (c) light-to-heavy hole transitions and (d) light hole to acceptor level transitions. The material of this paper should be of aid in the study of the pumping-oscillation cycle of the p-Ge laser.     

A kairomone forTrichogramma nubilale (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) isolation,identification, and synthesis

A kairomone that effects host-seeking behavior inTrichogramma nubilale Ertle and Davis, an egg parasitoid of the European corn borer,Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), was isolated from moth scales of the European corn borer. The kairomone was identified as a mixture of 11,15-, 13,17-, and 15,19-dimethylnonatriacontanes. The three dimethylnonatriacontanes were synthesized, and bioassays showed that the 13,17 isomer was the most active in terms of klinokinetic and retention effects. The 11,15 isomer and the 15,19 isomer had some effect on klinokinesis, but they failed to effect retention of the wasps. The 13,17-dimethylnonatriacontane is considered to be the most important component of the kairomone.Paper No. 16684 Scientific Journal Series, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108.     

Creep behavior of the ternary 95.5Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu solder—Part I: As-cast condition

The compression creep behavior was studied for the ternary solder alloy 95.5Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu in the as-cast condition. Samples were tested under stresses of 2–45 MPa and temperatures of −25–160°C. There was a significant variability in the creep curve shape, strain magnitude, and steady-state strain-rate properties. A multivariable linear-regression analysis of the steady-state strain-rate data, using the sinh-law stress representation, indicated two mechanisms distinguished by low- and high-temperature regimes of −25–75°C and 75–160°C, respectively. The sinh-law stress exponent (n) and apparent-activation energy (ΔH) in the −25–75°C regime were 4.4 ± 0.7 kJ/mol and 25 ± 7 kJ/mol (63% confidence intervals), respectively. Those same parameters in the 75–160°C regime were 5.2±0.8 kJ/mol and 95±14 kJ/mol, respectively, for the high-temperature regime. The values of ΔH suggested a short-circuit diffusion mechanism at low temperatures and a lattice or bulk-diffusion mechanism at high temperatures. The stress dependency of the steady-state strain rate did not indicate a strong power-law breakdown behavior or a threshold stress phenomenon. Cracks and grain-boundary sliding were not observed in any of the samples. As the creep temperature increased, a coarsened particle boundary and particle depletion zone formed in the region of fine Ag₃Sn particles that existed between the Sn-rich phase areas. The coarsened particle boundary, as well as accelerated coarsening of Ag₃Sn particles, were direct consequences of the creep deformation process.     

Detection of vesicoureteral reflux using microwave radiometry-system characterization with tissue phantoms

Microwave (MW) radiometry is proposed for passive monitoring of kidney temperature to detect vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) of urine that is externally heated by a MW hyperthermia device and thereafter reflows from the bladder to kidneys during reflux. Here, we characterize in tissue-mimicking phantoms the performance of a 1.375 GHz radiometry system connected to an electromagnetically (EM) shielded microstrip log spiral antenna optimized for VUR detection. Phantom EM properties are characterized using a coaxial dielectric probe and network analyzer (NA). Power reflection and receive patterns of the antenna are measured in layered tissue phantom. Receiver spectral measurements are used to assess EM shielding provided by a metal cup surrounding the antenna. Radiometer and fiberoptic temperature data are recorded for varying volumes (10-30 mL) and temperaturesg (40-46°C) of the urine phantom at 35 mm depth surrounded by 36.5°C muscle phantom. Directional receive pattern with about 5% power spectral density at 35 mm target depth and better than -10 dB return loss from tissue load are measured for the antenna. Antenna measurements demonstrate no deterioration in power reception and effective EM shielding in the presence of the metal cup. Radiometry power measurements are in excellent agreement with the temperature of the kidney phantom. Laboratory testing of the radiometry system in temperature-controlled phantoms supports the feasibility of passive kidney thermometry for VUR detection.     

Distributed online outlier detection in wireless sensor networks using ellipsoidal support vector machine

Low quality sensor data limits WSN capabilities for providing reliable real-time situation-awareness. Outlier detection is a solution to ensure the quality of sensor data. An effective and efficient outlier detection technique for WSNs not only identifies outliers in a distributed and online manner with high detection accuracy and low false alarm, but also satisfies WSN constraints in terms of communication, computational and memory complexity. In this paper, we take into account the correlation between sensor data attributes and propose two distributed and online outlier detection techniques based on a hyperellipsoidal one-class support vector machine (SVM). We also take advantage of the theory of spatio-temporal correlation to identify outliers and update the ellipsoidal SVM-based model representing the changed normal behavior of sensor data for further outlier identification. Simulation results show that our adaptive ellipsoidal SVM-based outlier detection technique achieves better detection accuracy and lower false alarm as compared to existing SVM-based techniques designed for WSNs.     

Evaluation of Brassica species as leaf sources for extending the processing season of a leaf protein concentrate plant

Leaf protein concentrates (LPC) were prepared in large pilot plant equipment from seven Brassica varieties grown on plots of up to 0.06 ha. Plants were harvested about a month before and after the lucerne processing season. Best yields of LPC, from leafier or forage-type species, were up to 0.9 t ha^?1. Properties were as good as or better than those of LPC from lucerne. Lucerne processing procedures were modified to maximize yields from the more succulent Brassica plants.     

An augmented reality system for patient-specific guidance of cardiac catheter ablation procedures

We present a system to assist in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias by catheter ablation. A patient-specific three-dimensional (3-D) anatomical model, constructed from magnetic resonance images, is merged with fluoroscopic images in an augmented reality environment that enables the transfer of electrocardiography (ECG) measurements and cardiac activation times onto the model. Accurate mapping is realized through the combination of: a new calibration technique, adapted to catheter guided treatments; a visual matching registration technique, allowing the electrophysiologist to align the model with contrast-enhanced images; and the use of virtual catheters, which enable the annotation of multiple ECG measurements on the model. These annotations can be visualized by color coding on the patient model. We provide an accuracy analysis of each of these components independently. Based on simulation and experiments, we determined a segmentation error of 0.6 mm, a calibration error in the order of 1 mm and a target registration error of 1.04 +/- 0.45 mm. The system provides a 3-D visualization of the cardiac activation pattern which may facilitate and improve diagnosis and treatment of the arrhytmia. Because of its low cost and similar advantages we believe our approach can compete with existing commercial solutions, which rely on dedicated hardware and costly catheters. We provide qualitative results of the first clinical use of the system in 11 ablation procedures.     

High gain millimetric negative resistance low noise amplifiers

The limited gain available from GaAs FETs and HEMTs at millimetric frequencies can be overcome by using the devices in a negative resistance amplifier configuration. The advantage of the solid-state negative resistance amplifier over the transmission amplifier is that the gain available is not limited by the active device used. It has been shown that, over a narrow bandwidth, significantly higher gain can be obtained from a negative resistance amplifier, when compared to a transmission amplifier using the same device, while maintaining the same overall noise performance. This has been demonstrated experimentally using a 0.25 mu m HEMT device.<>