Dynamic construction site layout planning using max-min ant system

Construction site layout planning (CSLP) is a dynamic multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem as there are different facilities employed in the different construction phases of a construction project. In this study, a new method using continuous dynamic searching scheme to guide the max-min ant system (MMAS) algorithm, which is one of the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms, to solve the dynamic CSLP problem under the two congruent objective functions of minimizing safety concerns and reducing construction cost is proposed. Using weighted sum method the MOO problem can be solved by the proposed MMAS method. An office building case was used to verify the capability of the proposed method to solve dynamic CSLP problem and the results are promising. The approach could be benchmarked by researchers using other advanced optimization algorithms to solve the same problem or expand the applications to other fields.     

Robust and accurate registration of 2-D electrophoresis gels using point-matching.

Point-matching is a widely applied image registration method and many algorithms have been developed. Registration of 2-D electrophoresis gels is an important problem in biological research that presents many of the technical difficulties that beset point-matching: large numbers of points with variable densities, large nonrigid transformations between point sets, paucity of structural information and large numbers of unmatchable points (outliers) in either set. In seeking the most suitable algorithm for gel registration we have evaluated a number of approaches for accuracy and robustness in the face of these difficulties. Using synthetic images we test combinations of three algorithm components: correspondence assignment, distance metrics and image transformation. We show that a version of the iterated closest point (ICP) algorithm using a non-Euclidean distance metric and a robust estimation of transform parameters provides best performance, equalling SoftAssign in the presence of moderate image distortion, and providing superior robustness against large distortions and high outlier proportions. From this evaluation we develop a gel registration algorithm based on robust ICP and a novel distance metric combining Euclidean, shape context and image-related features. We demonstrate the accuracy of gel matching using synthetic distortions of real gels and show that robust estimation of transform parameters using M-estimators can enforce inverse consistency, ensuring that matching results are independent of the order of the images.     

DVB-H移动数字电视综述

概述 自从20世纪40年代黑白广播电视问世以来,电视已走过了一个漫长的发展历程。我们经历了彩色电视与数字广播电视在画质方面的创新,以及在信号传输方式上的不断进步,如从有线到卫星再到HD等。每项新技术的推出都使电视的受欢迎程度与日俱增,并都能为观众带来更为丰富的节目内容。目前,电视正在迎来它的另一个全新的发展阶段：移动数字电视。     

Modelling methodology for thermal analysis of hot solder dip process

The shift of electronics industry towards the use of lead-free solders in components manufacturing brought also the challenge of addressing the problem of tin whiskers. Manufacturers of high reliability and safety critical equipment in sectors such as defence and aerospace rely increasingly on the use of commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) electronic components for their products and systems. The use of COTS components with lead-free solder plated terminations comes with the risks for their long term reliability associated with tin whisker growth related failures. In the case of leaded type electronic components such as Quad Flat Package (QFP) and Small Outline Package (SOP), one of the promising solutions to this problem is to “re-finish” the package terminations by replacing the lead-free solder coatings on the leads with conventional tin–lead solder. This involves subjecting the electronic components to a post-manufacturing process known as Hot Solder Dip (HSD). One of the main concerns for adopting HSD (refinishing) as a strategy to the tin whisker problem is the potential risk for thermally induced damage in the components when subjected to this process.     

A 5-GHZ Low-Power Series-Coupled BiCMOS Quadrature VCO With Wide Tuning Range

This letter presents a novel quadrature voltage controlled oscillator (QVCO) implemented in a 47-GHz SiGe BiCMOS technology. The QVCO is a serially coupled LC VCO that utilizes SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors for oscillation and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors for coupling. The SiGe BiCMOS QVCO prototype achieves about 14.6% tuning range from 4.3 to 5GHz. The phase noise of the QVCO is measured as -114.3 dBc/Hz at 2-MHz offset. The 5-GHz QVCO core consumes 6-mA current from a 3.3-V power supply and occupies 0.88mm² area     

人机界面的演进

术语．“人机界面”突然间已进入技术领域专用词汇的行列,就其最基本词义而言,该术语不仅用于描述设备外观,更可以描述人与设备之间的交互过程。虽然这不是一个新概念,但是该技术能够彻底改变我们与电子设备交互方式的可用性,以及集成该技术的紧迫性表明用户对界面设计日益重视。     

实现无线设计过程的无缝协作

(上篇)在无线系统设计过程中依靠基于部门划分的方法,往往会给开发流程带来麻烦。使用系统级模型不仅可以解决诸多此类问题,而且能够大大改进设计流程。各家公司都在使用基于模型的设计,以整合不同的开发团队(例如,模拟和数字)和各个设计阶段(例如,设计和验证),从而获得巨大收益。     

Aerosol-jet-printed, high-speed, flexible thin-film transistor made using single-walled carbon nanotube solution

A high-purity, surfactant-free and stable SWCNT aqueous solution was prepared using a series of chemical and physical processes. The SWCNT solution has a very limited amount of carbonaceous impurities, if any, and a total metal content of well below 500 ppb. It is stable for months without the addition of surfactant. Such SWCNT aqueous solution enables ink-jet printing of the entire fast, flexible SWCNT-based field-effect thin-film transistor (FE-TFT) at room temperature without the engagement of any traditional dry or wet chemical processes used for fabricating silicon-based transistors. High-speed SWCNT-based flexible FE-TFTs were printed using Aerosol Jet^® printing technology. The printed flexible FE-TFTs were characterized to have a current ON-OFF ratio of greater than 130 with an operation frequency of greater than 5 GHz.