Tranquility: A Low Disruptive Alternative to Quiescence for Ensuring Safe Dynamic Updates

This paper revisits a problem that was identified by Kramer and Magee: placing a system in a consistent state before and after runtime changes. We show that their notion of quiescence as a necessary and sufficient condition for safe runtime changes is too strict and results in a significant disruption in the application being updated. In this paper, we introduce a weaker condition: tranquillity. We show that tranquillity is easier to obtain and less disruptive for the running application but still a sufficient condition to ensure application consistency. We present an implementation of our approach on a component middleware platform and experimentally verify the validity and practical applicability of our approach using data retrieved from a case study.     

Impacts of spectral band difference effects on radiometric cross-calibration between satellite sensors in the solar-reflective spectral domain

In order for quantitative applications to make full use of the ever-increasing number of Earth observation satellite systems, data from the various imaging sensors involved must be on a consistent radiometric scale. This paper reports on an investigation of radiometric calibration errors due to differences in spectral response functions between satellite sensors when attempting cross-calibration based on near-simultaneous imaging of common ground targets in analogous spectral bands, a commonly used post-launch calibration methodology. Twenty Earth observation imaging sensors (including coarser and higher spatial resolution sensors) were considered, using the Landsat solar reflective spectral domain as a framework. Scene content was simulated using spectra for four ground target types (Railroad Valley Playa, snow, sand and rangeland), together with various combinations of atmospheric states and illumination geometries. Results were obtained as a function of ground target type, satellite sensor comparison, spectral region, and scene content. Overall, if spectral band difference effects (SBDEs) are not taken into account, the Railroad Valley Playa site is a “good” ground target for cross calibration between most but not all satellite sensors in most but not all spectral regions investigated. “Good” is defined as SBDEs within ± 3%. The other three ground target types considered (snow, sand and rangeland) proved to be more sensitive to uncorrected SBDEs than the RVPN site overall. The spectral characteristics of the scene content (solar irradiance, surface reflectance and atmosphere) are examined in detail to clarify why spectral difference effects arise and why they can be significant when comparing different imaging sensor systems. Atmospheric gas absorption features are identified as being the main source of spectral variability in most spectral regions. The paper concludes with recommendations on spectral data and tools that would facilitate cross-calibration between multiple satellite sensors.     

Phase-Error Measurement and Compensation in PLL Frequency Synthesizers for FMCW Sensors—I: Context and Application

The synthesis of linear frequency sweeps or chirps is required, among others, in frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar systems for object position estimation. Low phase and frequency errors in sweeps with high bandwidth are a prerequisite for good accuracy and resolution, but, in certain applications where high measurement rates are desired, the additional demand for short sweep cycles has to be met. Transient phenomena in dynamic synthesizers as well as nonlinear system behavior usually cause unknown phase errors in the system output. For the class of phase-locked-loop (PLL)-based frequency synthesizers, a novel output phase-measurement method and dedicated circuitry are proposed that allow significant reduction of phase errors by adaptive input predistortion. The measurement procedure is implemented within the PLL control circuitry and does not require external equipment. The application of this method to PLL system identification and linearization of extremely short frequency sweeps is shown     

Impact of Preferential P-Diffusion Along the Grain Boundaries on Fine-Grained Polysilicon Solar Cells

Thin-film polysilicon solar cells are a promising low-cost alternative for bulk silicon solar cells due to their reduced material thickness. Recently, we showed that the use of an amorphous silicon/polycrystalline silicon heterojunction emitter instead of a diffused homojunction emitter led to a boost in the open-circuit voltage by 90 mV. Now, we present a full evidence that shows that this improvement is related to the absence of dopant smearing along the grain boundaries. By using scanning spreading resistance microscopy, we found an enlargement of the junction area by a factor of five in case of a homojunction. The tips of the dopant spikes represent lowly doped areas with an enhanced recombination.     

Chitosan particles agglomerated scaffolds for cartilage and osteochondral tissue engineering approaches with adipose tissue derived stem cells

In the XML file of the original article, H. Redl’s affiliation is incorrect. It is listed correctly in both the paper and PDF versions of the article, and can be found below: The online version of the original article can be found at     

An ultrasonic obstacle detector based on phase beamforming principles

A prototype of an ultrasonic obstacle detector developed as a part of a navigation system for blind and visually impaired people is presented. The detector, which employs a single ultrasound source and an array of microphones, determines the distance to the obstacle by measuring time between sending the pulse and receiving the reflected signal. Using the phase beamforming technique, borrowed from hydroacoustics, to process the output signals of microphones, it determines also the direction from which the reflected signal is received, thereby locating the obstacle. The obstacle detector was subjected to a series of tests in order to verify its design and to assess its ability to detect a broad range of obstacles. Presented test results show that most obstacles can be detected and recognized, and that the tested obstacle detector provides complete coverage of the safety zone in front of the user.