Obstacle-Free Geocasting Protocols for Single/Multi-Destination Short Message Services in Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) comprise mobile hosts in a network bereft of base stations and characterized by a highly dynamic network topology. The MANET environment contains unpredictable obstacles, such as mountains, lakes, buildings, or regions without any hosts, impeding or blocking message relay. This study proposes geocasting protocols for sending short message from a source host to single or multiple geocasting regions in ad hoc networks. The proposed protocols keep messages away from unpredictable obstacles and create a small flooding region. Experimental results show that a source host can send a short message to all hosts located in single or multiple geographical areas with a high success rate and low flooding overhead.     

Application of extension theory to PD pattern recognition in high-voltage current transformers

This paper presents a novel partial-discharge (PD) recognition method based on the extension theory for high-voltage cast-resin current transformers (CRCTs). First, a commercial PD detector is used to measure the three-dimensional (3-D) PD patterns of the high-voltage CRCTs, then three data preprocessing schemes that extract relevant features from the raw 3-D-PD patterns are presented for the proposed PD recognition method. Second, the matter-element models of the PD defect types are built according to PD patterns derived from practical experimental results. Then, the PD defect in a CRCT can be directly identified by degrees of correlation between the tested pattern and the matter-element models which have been built up. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, comparative studies using a multilayer neural network and k-means algorithm are conducted on 150 sets of field-test PD patterns of 23-kV CRCTs with rather encouraging results.     

Generation of Potent Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Neutralizing Antibodies from Mouse Phage Display Library for Cancer Therapy

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important stimulator for angiogenesis in solid tumors. Blocking VEGF activity is an effective therapeutic strategy to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. Avastin, a humanized monoclonal antibody recognizes VEGF, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. To generate potential VEGF-recognizing antibodies with better tumor regression ability than that of Avastin, we have designed a systematic antibody selection plan. From mice immunized with recombinant human VEGF, we generated three phage display libraries, scFv-M13KO7, Fab-M13KO7, and scFv-Hyperphage, in single-chain Fv (scFv) or Fab format, displayed using either M13KO7 helper phage or Hyperphage. Solid-phase and solution-phase selection strategies were then applied to each library, generating six panning combinations. A total of sixty-four antibodies recognizing VEGF were obtained. Based on the results of epitope mapping, binding affinity, and biological functions in tumor inhibition, eight antibodies were chosen to examine their abilities in tumor regression in a mouse xenograft model using human COLO 205 cancer cells. Three of them showed improvement in the inhibition of tumor growth (328%–347% tumor growth ratio (% of Day 0 tumor volume) on Day 21 vs. 435% with Avastin). This finding suggests a potential use of these three antibodies for VEGF-targeted therapy.     

Sum-of-squares-based fuzzy controller design using quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm

In the field of fuzzy control, control gains are obtained by solving stabilisation conditions in linear-matrix-inequality-based Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy control method and sum-of-squares-based polynomial fuzzy control method. However, the optimal performance requirements are not considered under those stabilisation conditions. In order to handle specific performance problems, this paper proposes a novel design procedure with regard to polynomial fuzzy controllers using quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithms. The first contribution of this paper is a combination of polynomial fuzzy control and quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithms to undertake an optimal performance controller design. The second contribution is the proposed stability condition derived from the polynomial Lyapunov function. The proposed design approach is dissimilar to the traditional approach, in which control gains are obtained by solving the stabilisation conditions. The first step of the controller design uses the quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithms to determine the control gains with the best performance. Then, the stability of the closed-loop system is analysed under the proposed stability conditions. To illustrate effectiveness and validity, the problem of balancing and the up-swing of an inverted pendulum on a cart is used.     

An overlapping communication protocol using improved time-slot leasing for Bluetooth WPANs

In this paper, we propose an overlapping communication protocol using improved time-slot leasing in the Bluetooth WPANS. One or many slave–master–slave communications usually exist in a piconet of the Bluetooth network. A fatal communication bottleneck is incurred in the master node if many slave–master–slave communications are required at the same time. To alleviate the problem, an overlapping communication scheme is presented to allow slave node directly and simultaneously communicates with another slave node to replace with the original slave–master–slave communication works in a piconet. This overlapping communication scheme is based on the improved time-slot leasing (TSL) scheme which modified from the original TSL, while the original TSL scheme only provides the slave-to-slave communication capability. The key contribution of our improved TSL scheme is to offer the overlapping communication capability. With the overlapping communication scheme, we developed an overlapping communication protocol in a Bluetooth WPANs. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that our developed communication protocol achieves the performance improvements on bandwidth utilization, transmission delay time, network congestion, and energy consumption.     

A new correlation and the review of two-phase flow pressure change across sudden expansion in small channels

In this study, the authors first present a short overview on the single-phase flow across sudden expansion, followed by a thorough review of the relevant literature for two-phase flow across sudden expansion, and examination of the applicability of the existing correlations. Also, 282 data available from five publications are collected. It is found that none of the existing correlations can accurately predict the entire database. Most of the correlations highly over predict the data with a mini test section which has a Bond number being less than 0.1 in which the effect of surface tension dominates. Also, some of the correlations significantly under predict the data for very large test sections. Among the models/correlations being examined, the homogeneous model shows a poor predictive ability than the others, but it is handy for the engineering aspect. Hence by taking account the influences of Bond number, Weber number, Froude number, liquid Reynolds number, gas quality and area ratio into the original homogeneous model, a modified homogeneous model is proposed that considerably improves the predictive ability over existing correlations with a mean deviation of 23% and a standard deviation of 29% to all the data with wider ranges of operating parameters for application.     

Effects of CO addition on the propagation characteristics of laminar CH4 triple flame

This study proposes a numerical and experimental investigation of the propagation characteristics of CO-added CH₄ flames in a confined quartz tube. The transient propagation of a CH₄/CO–air flames were modeled using GRI-Mech 3.0, and the propagation characteristics are discussed based on the calculated results. This study characterizes the formation of the reaction zone, the transformation of the flame base structure, the ignition of fuel, and the propagation phenomena of the leading point of the flame base. The leading point of methane flame with a large amount of added CO is found to be difficult to define unambiguously. During flame propagation, a complex combination of chemical reactions coupled with the fluid dynamics between the stoichiometric line and the preferred equivalence ratio line occurs. The results suggest that the leading point of the propagating flame is still dominated by the redirection effect, while the effect of the intrinsic chemical properties of the fuel mixture on a propagating flame has finite thickness cannot be neglected.     

Characterization of a vortex-induced vibrating thin plate energy harvester with particle image velocimetry

Microsystem Technologies - Energy of turbulent wakes can be harnessed using vortex induced vibration harvesters. The unequal pressure distribution due to turbulence on the device generates...