Operation, system architectures, and physical Layer design considerations of distributed MAC protocols for UWB

Impulse-based ultra wideband (I-UWB) is an attractive radio technology for large ad hoc and sensor networks due to its robustness to harmful multipath effects, sub-centimeter ranging ability, simple hardware, and low radiated power. To scale to large sizes, networks often implement distributed medium access control (MAC) protocols. However, most MAC protocols for I-UWB are centralized, and they target small wireless personal area networks and cellular networks. We propose three distributed MAC protocols suitable for I-UWB. Two multichannel protocols, called multichannel pulse sense multiple access (M-PSMA) and multichannel ALOHA achieve high aggregate throughput. A busy-signal protocol, called busy-signal multiple access (BSMA), reduces the energy wasted from re-transmitted packets. This paper describes the three protocols in terms of the protocol's operation, the supporting system architecture, and the I-UWB physical layer. Physical layer simulations confirm the feasibility of implementing the proposed systems and also provide parameters for network simulations. Network simulations show that the throughput of M-PSMA exceeds that of a centralized time-division multiple-access protocol and that the energy efficiency of BSMA far surpasses that of other distributed protocols.     

MLS‐based variable‐node elements compatible with quadratic interpolation. Part I: formulation and application for non‐matching meshes

Two‐dimensional variable‐node elements compatible with quadratic interpolation are developed using the moving least‐square (MLS) approximation. The mapping from the parental domain to the physical element domain is implicitly obtained from MLS approximation, with the shape functions and their derivatives calculated and saved only at the numerical integration points. It is shown that the present MLS‐based variable‐node elements meet the patch test if a sufficiently large number of integration points are employed for numerical integration. The cantilever problem with non‐matching meshes is chosen to check the feasibility of the present MLS‐based variable‐node elements, and the result is compared with that from the lower‐order case compatible with linear interpolation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple receding horizon control for state delayed systems and its stability criterion

In this paper, a simple receding horizon (or model predictive) control for state delayed systems is presented and its solution is given in a closed form by a reduction method. While the control for a time-delay system is usually complex, the proposed controller is simple to construct and therefore can be simply implemented in real applications. To check the closed-loop stability of the proposed controller, a sufficient condition is provided by linear matrix inequalities. In addition, a numerical algorithm is presented for computing the eigenvalues of systems with distributed time delays, which can be used as a necessary and sufficient condition to check closed-loop stability. It is shown by simulation that this simple control can be a stabilizing control for time-delay systems.     

Modular Reconfigurable Robots in Space Applications

Robots used for tasks in space have strict requirements. Modular reconfigurable robots have a variety of attributes that are well suited to these conditions, including: serving as many different tools at once (saving weight), packing into compressed forms (saving space) and having high levels of redundancy (increasing robustness). In addition, self-reconfigurable systems can self-repair and adapt to changing or unanticipated conditions. This paper will describe such a self-reconfigurable modular robot: PolyBot. PolyBot has significant potential in the space manipulation and surface mobility class of applications for space.     

一种互联网资源标志与寻址技术:Handle System

互联网最基础的资源标志与寻址技术是域名和IP地址，随着互联网资源种类的增加，以及应用的发展，出现了对新一代互联网资源标志与寻址技术的需求。介绍了一种新的互联网资源标志与寻址技术，并将这种技术应用到域名系统中。     

One-Dimensional Numerical Model for Nonuniform Sediment Transport under Unsteady Flows in Channel Networks

In this study, the proposed one-dimensional model simulates the nonequilibrium transport of nonuniform total load under unsteady flow conditions in dendritic channel networks with hydraulic structures. The equations of sediment transport, bed changes, and bed-material sorting are solved in a coupling procedure with a direct solution technique, while still decoupled from the flow model. This coupled model for sediment calculation is more stable and less likely to produce negative values for bed-material gradation than the traditional fully decoupled model. The sediment transport capacity is calculated by one of four formulas, which have taken into consideration the hiding and exposure mechanism of nonuniform sediment transport. The fluvial erosion at bank toes and the mass failure of banks are simulated to complement the modeling of bed morphological changes in channels. The tests in several cases show that the present model is capable of predicting sediment transport, bed changes, and bed-material sorting in various situations, with reasonable accuracy and reliability.     

A study on the thermal behavior in microaccelerometer manufacturing processes

Single crystal silicon (SCS) is used in a variety of microsensor applications in which stresses and other mechanical effects may dominate device performance. One of major problems associated with the manufacturing processes of the microaccelerometer based on the tunneling current concept is temperature gradient and thermal stressess. This paper deals with finite element analyses of residual stresses causing popping up, which are induced in micromachining processes of a microaccelerometer. The authors model temperature-dependent mechanical properties during focused ion beam (FIB) cutting and Pt deposition processes. The maximum thermal strain of 0.0012 occurred at the readout gap of the microaccelerometer during the Pt deposition process. The stress produced during the heating process of FIB cut was also found to be about 33–36 MPa and cooling process the maximum equivalent stress of about 34MPa still at the right corner of readout gap. The calculated maximum displacement occurred at the readout gap was 0.14 μm. This is still smaller than the popping up of about 2 μm observed in the experiment. The reason for this popping up phenomenon in munufacturing processes of microaccelerometer may be the bending of the whole wafer or it may come from the way the underetch occurs. Different SOI material and a new geometry of the accelerometer are under investigation. We want to seek after the real cause of this pop up phenomenon and diminish this by changing munufacturing processes of microaccelerometer.     

Structural,optical and electrical properties of silicon nanocrystals embedded in SixC1−x/SiC multilayer systems for photovoltaic applications

In this work we present a structural, optical and electrical characterization of Si_xC_1?x/SiC multilayer systems with different silicon content. After the deposition process, an annealing treatment was carried out in order to induce the silicon nanocrystals formation. By means of energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) we observed the structural morphology of the multilayers and the presence of crystallized silicon nanoprecipitates for samples annealed up to 1100 °C. We discuss the suitability of optical techniques such as Raman scattering and reflectance and transmittance (R&T) for the evaluation of the crystalline fraction of our samples at different silicon excess ranges. In addition, the combination of R&T measurements with simulation has proved to be a useful instrument to confirm the structural properties observed by EFTEM. Finally, we explore the origin of the extremely high current density revealed by electrical measurements, probably due to the presence of an undesired defective SiC_yO_z ternary compound layer, already supported by the structural and optical results. Nevertheless, the variation of the electrical measurements with the silicon amount indicates a small but significant contribution from the multilayers.     

On the Determination of a Safe Life for Distributions Classified by Failure Rate

If the distribution of life length is a member of a specified subset of distributions which have increasing failure rates, we find a method of determining functions of the sample data which can be used to provide lower tolerance bounds of given confidence or a service life with specified assurance of no failures among a given number of items to be produced.

The method of finding such functions of the observations is shown to be optimal in a sense and the calculation of a lower bound for the probability of no failure in the future production is carried out when such functions are used. The confidence in the tolerance bound and the assurance of no failure in a production lot of specified size are compared when using bounds obtained from these functions.     

Carboxymethyl sago pulp/chitosan hydrogel as an immobilization medium for activated sludge for p-nitrophenol biodegradation

In this study, carboxymethyl sago pulp (CMSP) derived from sago waste was successfully crosslinked with ferric ions in the presence of chitosan forming a novel immobilization matrix for p-nitrophenol (PNP)-acclimated activated sludge. On the basis of the shortest biodegradation time of PNP, the optimized operational conditions of immobilization were found to be: 7 w/v% CMSP, 9 g L⁻¹ of activated sludge, 0.1 M ferric ion, and 15 min of crosslinking time. Observable inhibited PNP biodegradation was exhibited by the suspended activated sludge at the initial PNP concentration of 400 mg L⁻¹. In contrast, complete mineralization was achieved by the CMSP/chitosan-immobilized activated sludge (CMSP/Ch-AS) beads. The results revealed the important role of CMSP/Ch hydrogel in protecting activated sludge from the toxicity of PNP. The CMSP/Ch-AS beads could be reused consecutively up to three and two cycles, respectively, for the biodegradation of PNP at 200 and 400 mg L⁻¹, with the attainment of more than 99% of PNP removal at each cycle. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47531.