Feasibility of retroreflective transdermal optical wireless communication

There is an increasing demand for transdermal high-data-rate communication for use with in-body devices, such as pacemakers, smart prostheses, neural signals processors at the brain interface, and cameras acting as artificial eyes as well as for collecting signals generated within the human body. Prominent requirements of these communication systems include (1) wireless modality, (2) noise immunity and (3) ultra-low-power consumption for the in-body device. Today, the common wireless methods for transdermal communication are based on communication at radio frequencies, electrical induction, or acoustic waves. In this paper, we will explore another alternative to these methods--optical wireless communication (OWC)--for which modulated light carries the information. The main advantages of OWC in transdermal communication, by comparison to the other methods, are the high data rates and immunity to external interference availed, which combine to make it a promising technology for next-generation systems. In this paper, we present a mathematical model and experimental results of measurements from direct link and retroreflection link configurations with Gallus gallus domesticus derma as the transdermal channel. The main conclusion from this work is that an OWC link is an attractive communication solution in medical applications. For a modulating retroreflective link to become a competitive solution in comparison with a direct link, low-energy-consumption modulating retroreflectors should be developed.     

Combining static and dynamic array detection for binary synthesis with multiple memory ports

In High-Level Synthesis, Binary Synthesis is a method for synthesizing compiled applications for which the source code is not available. One of the advantages of FPGAs over processors is the availability of multiple internal and external memory banks. Binary synthesis tools use multiple memory banks if they are able to recover data-structures from the binary. In this work we improve the recovery of data-structures by introducing dynamic memory analysis and combining it with improved static memory analysis. We show that many applications can only be synthesized using dynamic memory analysis. We present two FPGA based architectures for implementing the bound-checking and recovery for the synthesized code. Our experiments show that the proposed technique accelerates the execution of applications which use multiple memory banks concurrently. We demonstrate that many binary applications indeed benefit from this technique.     

MaGMA: mobility and group management architecture for real‐time collaborative applications

We introduce MaGMA, a mobility and group management architecture, enabling real‐time collaborative group applications such as push‐to‐talk (PTT) for mobile users. MaGMA provides, for the first time, a comprehensive and scalable solution for group management, seamless mobility, and quality‐of‐service (QoS). MaGMA is a distributed IP‐based architecture consisting of an overlay server network deployed as part of the service infrastructure. MaGMA's architecture consists of a collection of mobile group managers (MGMs), which manage group membership and may also implement a multicast overlay for data delivery. The architecture is very flexible, and can co‐exist with current as well as emerging wireless network technologies. We see such services as essential components in beyond‐3G (B3G) networks. We propose two group management approaches in the context of MaGMA. We devise protocols for both approaches, evaluate both solutions using simulations, and validate the results through mathematical analysis. Finally, we present a proof‐of‐concept prototype implementation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geometric covering

In this work, we present a single unified framework that can solve many geometric covering queries such as inspection and mold design. The suggested framework reduces a geometric covering query to the classic computer science set-covering problem. The solution is of exponential complexity due to the inherent complexity of the classic set-covering problem. However, in practice, we are able to efficiently offer almost optimal solutions for small-scale problems of several covering entities. Finally, using the portrayed framework, we demonstrate some results on the mold-design problem in manufacturing.     

Experimental and theoretical study of skylight polarization transmitted through Snell's window of a flat water surface

The celestial polarization pattern may be scrambled by refraction at the air-water interface. This polarization pattern was examined in shallow waters with a submersible polarimeter, and it was calculated by using land measurements ('semiempirical predictions') and models of the skylight polarization. Semiempirically predicted and measured e-vector orientations were significantly similar. Conversely, predicted percent polarization was correlated but lower than measurements. Percent polarization depended on wavelength, where at high sun altitudes maximal percent polarization generally appeared in the UV and red spectral regions. The wavelength dependency of polarization may lead to differential spectral sensitivity in polarization-sensitive animals according to time and type of activity.     

Self-Directed Learning and Its Relation to the VC-Dimension and to Teacher-Directed Learning

We study the self-directed (SD) learning model. In this model a learner chooses examples, guesses their classification and receives immediate feedback indicating the correctness of its guesses. We consider several fundamental questions concerning this model: the parameters of a task that determine the cost of learning, the computational complexity of a student, and the relationship between this model and the teacher-directed (TD) learning model. We answer the open problem of relating the cost of self-directed learning to the VC-dimension by showing that no such relation exists. Furthermore, we refute the conjecture that for the intersection-closed case, the cost of self-directed learning is bounded by the VC-dimension. We also show that the cost of SD learning may be arbitrarily higher that that of TD learning.Finally, we discuss the number of queries needed for learning in this model and its relationship to the number of mistakes the student incurs. We prove a trade-off formula showing that an algorithm that makes fewer queries throughout its learning process, necessarily suffers a higher number of mistakes.     

Sparse Normalized Local Alignment

Given two strings, X and Y, both of length O(n) over alphabet Σ, a basic problem (local alignment) is to find pairs of similar substrings, one from X and one from Y. For substrings X' and Y' from X and Y, respectively, the metric we use to measure their similarity is normalized alignment value: LCS(X',Y')/(|X'|+|Y'|). Given an integer M we consider only those substrings whose LCS length is at least M. We present an algorithm that reports the pairs of substrings with the highest normalized alignment value in O(n log|Σ|+rM log log n) time (r—the number of matches between X and Y). We also present an O(n log|Σ|+rL log log n) algorithm (L = LCS(X,Y)) that reports all substring pairs with a normalized alignment value above a given threshold.     

Stokes flow due to infinite arrays of stokeslets in three dimensions

Infinite periodic arrays of stokeslets in three dimensions are summed up by obtaining various rapidly converging infinite series. The three cases treated here are: 1. Identical stokeslets distributed at constant intervals on a line parallel to a plate, 2. An array of identical stokeslets distributed on a two-dimensional periodic lattice on a plane parallel to a plate, 3. The same array, but parallel to and in between two plates. Computational results are shown and comparisons with previously averaged expressions are made.