End-to-End QoS for Video Delivery Over Wireless Internet

Providing end-to-end quality of service (QoS) support is essential for video delivery over the next-generation wireless Internet. We address several key elements in the end-to-end QoS support, including scalable video representation, network-aware end system, and network QoS provisioning. There are generally two approaches in QoS support: the network-centric and the end-system centric solutions. The fundamental problem in a network-centric solution is how to map QoS criterion at different layers respectively, and optimize total quality across these layers. We first present the general framework of a cross-layer network-centric solution, and then describe the recent advances in network modeling, QoS mapping, and QoS adaptation. The key targets in end-system centric approach are network adaptation and media adaptation. We present a general framework of the end-system centric solution and investigate the recent developments. Specifically, for network adaptation, we review the available bandwidth estimation and efficient video transport protocol; for media adaptation , we describe the advances in error control, power control, and corresponding bit allocation. Finally, we highlight several advanced research directions.     

In-Situ observation on microfracture behavior ahead of the crack tip in 63Sn37Pb solder alloy

in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) tensile tests on as-cast and aged 63Sn37Pb solder alloys were conducted, and the fracture behavior in nanometer scale ahead of the crack tip was inspected and discussed. Results show that the fracture was completed by connecting the discontinuous cracks or voids. Dislocation behavior was concentrated along the grain boundaries for as-cast samples, and displayed mainly as dislocation climb. The crack was intergranular dominated under the lower strain rate. While remarkable mutual dislocation emission was detected in the aged solder. Transgranular cracks were dominant in the fractured area, and they propagated by linking up with the nanometer scale cracks ahead of the crack tips under the effective promotion of the inverse dislocation emission. At the same time, the partial interphase or intergranular cracks in the thinned area were also found. Under this condition, a new critical stress intensity factor K _c ^′ to define the mutual dislocation emission was proposed.     

压密注浆及其在地基加固中的应用

在简单介绍了压密注浆工法的加固机理、影响被加固土体强度的因素的基础上，结合工程实例介绍了压缩注浆工法的工程应用情况。     

Effects of grain sizes, shapes, and distribution on minimum sizes of representative volume elements of cubic polycrystals

In the literature the concept of representative volume element (RVE) was introduced to correlate the effective or macroscopic properties of materials with the properties of the microscopic constituents and microscopic structures of the materials. However, to date little quantitative knowledge is available about minimum RVE sizes of various engineering materials. In our recent paper [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 50 (2002) 881], a new definition of minimum RVE size was introduced based on the concept of nominal modulus. Numerical experiments using the finite element method (FEM) were then carried out for determining the minimum RVE sizes of more than 500 cubic polycrystals in the plane stress problem, under the assumption that all grains in a polycrystal have the same square shape––called the simple polycrystal model. The major finding is that the minimum RVE sizes for effective elastic moduli have a roughly linear dependence on crystal anisotropy degrees. The present paper takes into account the effect of grain sizes, shapes, and distribution on the minimum RVE sizes for real cubic polycrystals that are formed by crystallization processes. Similar roughly linear dependence is found again, with the slope about 19% lower than that in the simple polycrystal model. This finding is interesting and useful because numerical experiments on minimum RVE sizes for a large number of crystals are quite time-consuming and the simple polycrystal model reduces significantly the FEM pre- and post-processing works. This should be particularly true in numerically testing minimum RVE sizes for three-dimensional polycrystals and for nonelastic properties in future works. With a maximum relative error 5%, all the polycrystals tested have a minimum RVE size of 16 or less times the grain size.     

InAs quantum dot photonic crystal lasers and their temperature dependence

We report on the demonstration of optically pumped photonic crystal lasers with InAs quantum dot active regions operating at room temperature near 1310 nm. Absorbed threshold pump powers as low as 25 /spl mu/W are observed. We also extract a characteristic temperature of 17 K, which is attributed to limitations caused by surface recombination.     

Enhancing echo cancellation via estimation of delay

The advent of packetized audio transmission, such as voice over IP (VoIP), has resulted in challenging requirements for echo cancellation technology. One key aspect of this technology is the need to characterize, quickly and accurately, the echo paths in the transmission media. Echo paths consist of a constant time delay with no echo signal and active regions in which the echo signal is present. When an adaptive filter echo cancellation algorithm is used, its performance can be greatly increased, and its complexity can be reduced if it is only applied to the active regions. This requires an algorithm to estimate the constant delay and locate the active regions. Traditionally, delay estimation has been based on direct application of cross-correlation. This method has poor performance because the input signals are highly correlated and has a high implementation cost because many cross-correlation lags have to be computed for longer time delays. The delay estimation addressed in this paper has two major advantages over the traditional methods. The first is that it has improved performance because the input signals are processed to have less correlation. The second is that the implementation cost is significantly reduced because fewer cross-correlation lags are computed, and an efficient method to estimate lags is created.     

Nanoscale structural characteristics and electron field emission properties of transition metal–fullerene compound TiC60 films

Transition-metal compound TiC₆₀ thin films were grown by co-deposition from two separated sources of fullerene C₆₀ powder and titanium. Study of structural properties of the films, by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals that the films have a deformed C₆₀ structure with certain amount of sp³ bonds and a rough surface with a large number of nanoclusters. z–V tunnelling spectroscopic measurements suggest that several charge transport mechanisms are involved in as the tip penetrates into the thin film. Conventional field electron emission (FEE) measurements show a high emission current density of 10 mA/cm² and a low turn-on field less than 8 V/μm, with the field enhancement factors being 659 and 1947 for low-field region and high-field region, respectively. By exploiting STM tunneling spectroscopy, local FEE on nanometer scale has also been characterized in comparison with the conventional FEE. The respective field enhancement factors are estimated to be 99–355 for a gap varying from 36 to 6 nm. The enhanced FEE of TiC₆₀ thin films can be ascribed to structural variation of C₆₀ in the films and the electrical conducting paths formed by titanium nanocrystallites embedded in C₆₀ matrix.