On the Performance of FFT/DWT/DCT-based OFDM Systems with Chaotic Interleaving and Channel Estimation Algorithms

The efficiency of data transmission over fading channels in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems depends on the employed interleaving method. In this study, we propose an improved chaotic interleaving scheme which aims to improve the performance of OFDM system under fading channel. In the proposed scheme, the binary data is interleaved with chaotic Baker map prior to the modulation process. In the sequel, significant degree of encryption is being added during data transmission. The performance of the proposed approach is tested on the conventional fast Fourier transform OFDM, discrete wavelet transform OFDM, and discrete cosine transform OFDM with and without chaotic interleaving. Furthermore, an expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm is proposed for improving channel impulse response (CIR) estimation based on a maximum likelihood principle. The proposed scheme makes use of EM algorithm to update the channel estimates until convergence is reached. The simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed algorithms under Rayleigh fading environments where the symbol error rate essentially coincides with that of the perfect channel case after the fifth EM iteration.     

Design of High Speed AWGN Communication Channel Emulator

This paper presents a method for designing a high accuracy white gaussian noise generator suitable for communication channel emulation. The proposed solution is based on the combined use of the Box-Muller method and the central limit theorem. The resulting architecture provides a high accuracy AWGN with a low complexity architecture for a digital implementation in FPGA. The performance is studied by means of MATLAB simulations and various complexity figures are given.     

Eliminating Selective Dropping Attack in Mobile Ad Hoc Network

Wireless Personal Communications - In this paper, we propose a new reputation approach, called I-WD (improved WatchDog). We attempt to eliminate selective dropping attack that ensue when malicious...     

The evaporation rates and mechanisms of cadmium from a bubble-stirred molten copper bath

Experiments to determine the evaporation rates and aerosol formation mechanism of cadmium in molten copper at atmospheric pressure have been carried out. A small amount of cadmium (∼1 wt pct) was added to molten copper at 1473 K and allowed to evaporate while bubbling 750 and 1500 cm³/min of argon through the melt. Melt samples were periodically taken and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectroscopy (ICP/MS) to determine their impurity content. A theoretical model to predict the evaporation rates of solutes from molten metals was developed and compared to the experimental results. Excellent correlation between experiment and theory was found for the cadmiumcopper system. The model has been extended to other solutes and also to molten Fe-3 (wt pct) C at 1873 K as a solvent.     

储冰球相变传热数值计算及分析

对圆球形相变储冷器的相变传热问题进行了详细分析,采用焓法模型对常用相变介质水在球内的凝结过程进行了数值求解,得出了第一类边界条件下的相变界面位置变化与界面部移动速度变化以及相奕时间与球径和传热温差的关系等结果,可以为圆球形及其它形状的相变储的设计和分析计算提供理论依据与参考。     

Optimum Time Diversity and BCH Codes for DS SS-CDMA Cellular Mobile Channels

This paper presents the results of optimum diversity and coding of a cellular radio system using spread-spectrum code division multiple-access (SS-CDMA) and binary phase-shift-keying modulation (BPSK). The base-to-mobile link is considered with the mobile at the boundary between cells. Hence, the received signal is subject to Rayleigh or log-normal fading, as well as to interference from neighbouring cells.First, the probability of error for the fading-interference channel is approximated as a simple, closed-form expression, with one-parameter which signifies the degree of channel fading and interference. It is shown that the approximation is quite satisfactory for a wide range of channel fading and interference. Beside avoiding numerical integration, the use of such simplification offers more insight into the nature of the channel.The use of error-correcting codes to enable increasing the system capacity is then investigated. Since employment of either SS or forward-error correction (FEC) techniques results in bandwidth expansion for a communication system using a fixed alphabet size, there exists a trade-off between how much processing gain and how much coding gain the system should employ such that the bit-error rate is minimum. Two types of coding are analysed, viz. repetitive coding and binary BCH codes. For the repetitive code, Chernoff upper-bound is used to approximate the bit-error rate (BER) and the optimum diversity is then found by a simple minimisation.To find the optimum trade-off between code rate k/n and correction capability t of BCH (n,k,t) codes, the first term of the series representing the BER is used as an estimate of the probability of error. Such approximation is shown to yield a nearly exact estimate of the optimum coding parameters, which minimise the BER. Although exact analysis can be used, the present approach yields a general solution, and optimum design parameters can be related to channel conditions.The essence of the results is as follows: (i) fading and interference channel is approximated as a one parameter family; (ii) optimum diversity increases and processing gain decreases, almost linearly, with the increase of interference and fading severity; (iii) optimum BCH code rate is 0.3 over a wide range of fading and interference conditions, and (iv) optimising coding gain and processing gain can provide substantial increase in system capacity.     

Probabilistic routing protocol for a hybrid wireless underground sensor networks

A wireless underground sensor network (WUSN) is defined as a network of wireless sensor devices in which all sensor devices are deployed completely underground (network sinks or any devices specifically for relay between sensors and a sink may be aboveground). In hybrid wireless underground sensor network (HWUSN), communication between nodes is implemented from underground‐to‐air or air‐to‐underground, not underground‐to‐underground. This paper proposes a novel hybrid underground probabilistic routing protocol that provides an efficient means of communication for sensor nodes in HWUSN. In addition, signal propagation based on the shadowing model for underground medium is developed. The proposed routing protocol ensures high packet throughput, prolongs the lifetime of HWUSN and the random selection of the next hop with multi‐path forwarding contributes to built‐in security. Moreover, the proposed mechanism utilizes an optimal forwarding (OF) decision that takes into account of the link quality, and the remaining power of next hop sensor nodes. The performance of proposed routing protocol has been successfully studied and verified through the simulation and real test bed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Update on optimized purification and characterization of natural milk allergens

Highly purified allergens namely cow's milk alpha-lactalbumin (ALA). (Bos d 4), beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) (Bos d 5) and casein (Bos d 8) and goat's milk casein were prepared from the raw milk from a single animal with a known genetic background. Consequently the natural isoforms are limited, constant and characterized. Purification included selective precipitations and chromatographical steps. Characterization of structure and allergenic activity assessment of milk allergens were carried out using physicochemical and immunochemical methods. Taken together data demonstrated the absence of impurities and of contamination by other milk allergens in each preparation. NMR and circular dichroism analyses confirmed the native conformation and proper folding of ALA and BLG and the expected absence of folding of bovine and caprine casein. Enzyme immuno assays confirmed the native conformation of BLG and the purity and immunoreactivity of all the proteins. The allergenic activity, e. g. the IgE binding capacity, of purified proteins was identical as that of those proteins when present in milk. The purified proteins also demonstrated the ability to provoke the degranulation of humanized rat basophilic leukaemia cells. All the data thus confirm the purity, identity, structural conformation and functionality of the prepared milk allergens.     

Morphological exploration of chemical vapor–deposited P-doped ZnO nanorods for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is beneficial and has received attractive attention due to a greater potential to generate hydrogen and oxygen from water by using plentiful solar light to solve the problem of energy crisis. Various active semiconductor materials are used in PEC water splitting applications. Nevertheless, in past decades, most of the researchers suggested that titanium oxide (TiO₂) is the best photoanode for this type of applications. Now, Zinc oxide (ZnO) is considered a perfect substitution to TiO₂ due to its comparable energy band structure and superior photogenerated electron transfer rate. In this study, bare and phosphorous-doped ZnO nanorods were successfully developed on fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass (FTO) substrate by chemical vapor deposition. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern authenticated hexagonal structure formation with strong diffraction peak of (101), which showed that ZnO nanorods were perfectly developed along c axis. The optical and morphological properties were analyzed by UV–Vis and scanning electron microscopy images. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectra demonstrated that doping agent phosphorous was present in ZnO nanorods. The PEC properties of the developed ZnO nanorods were further investigated and obtained results suggested that a small amount of phosphorous-doped ZnO nanorods enhances their PEC performance.     

A silica supported Fe-Co bimetallic catalyst prepared by the sol/gel technique: Operating conditions, catalytic properties and characterization

A Co/Fe catalyst was prepared using the sol/gel technique in order to study its catalytic activity and selectivity in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The effect of a range of operation variables such as pressure, temperature and H₂/CO molar feed ratio on the catalytic performance of 40%Fe/60%Co/15 wt.%SiO₂/1.5 wt.%K catalyst was investigated. It was found that the optimum operating conditions is a H₂/CO = 2/1 molar feed ratio at 350 °C temperature and 3 bar pressure. Characterization of both precursor and calcined catalysts was carried out using XRD, SEM, EDS, TPR, BET surface area measurements and thermal analysis methods such as TGA and DSC. It was observed that all of the different operation variables influenced the structure, morphology and catalytic performance of the catalysts.