Delay-constrained survivable multicast routing problem in WDM networks with shared segment-based protection

For a delay-constrained multicast transmission request, the goal of delay-constrained survivable multicast routing problem is to provide the primary multicast tree and the tree protecting sparse resources. The shared segment-based protection (SSBP) method is used in this article to protect the delay-constrained multicast transmission. Two heuristic methods are proposed to find the delay-constrained primary tree and the backup segments with delay constraint. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed methods, and the performance to be evaluated includes wavelength efficiency ratio (WER), blocking ratio (BR), and executing time. Simulations show that the SSBP method can get better BR and WER than the previous results demonstrated Din and Jiang (Comput Commun 35(10):1172–1184, 2012).     

Conformal array controlled by photonics

A 96-element conformal array controlled by photonics was built and tested for airborne radars. The L-band array consists of 1 km fibre-optic links and a photonic time shift network. There was no beam squint (shift in angle) as the frequency sweeps over the entire band (850-1400 MHz). A nanosecond impulse response was measured to demonstrate a 50% instantaneous bandwidth (550 MHz), corresponding to a 30 cm range resolution     

A new shared AWG-based OCDMA scheme implemented with time-spreading and wavelength-group-hopping embedded M-sequence code

This paper exploits the inherent cyclic and periodic free-spectral-range (FSR) properties of arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) routers to construct a two-dimensional (2D) time-spreading and wavelength-group-hopping embedded M-sequence code for optical multiple-access networks. In the proposed codecs (encoder/decoder), a fine arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) is used to generate an M-sequence code pattern, which is then spread in the wavelength domain by multiple coarse AWGs. The signals produced at the output ports of the coarse AWGs are then spread in the time domain using optical delay lines. The 2D code is evaluated in terms of its correlation, bit-error-rate (BER) and cardinality characteristics. It is shown that the TS/GH embedded M-sequence code yields a significant improvement in both the BER and cardinality performance of the optical multiple-access networks compared to that obtained using conventional prime-hop code (PHC), modified prime-hop code (MPHC), Barker and Walsh-based bipolar–bipolar sequence.     

A seamless handoff scheme for IEEE 802.11 wireless networks

The advance of computer network technologies such as IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network has made it possible for users to connect to Internet almost anywhere. A mobile node (MN) is likely to move between different base stations while running applications. The IETF has defined the Mobile IP (MIP) to allow MNs to maintain their communication uninterrupted while roaming across different IP subnets. However, the mechanisms defined in MIP may cause undesired connection disruptions or packet losses, which will significantly degrade the quality of real‐time applications. It is an important and challenging issue to support seamless handoff management. To achieve seamless handoff, we propose a unified scheme to address application quality degradation. Our main contribution is the concept and implementation of utilising buffering and resending method to eliminate the packet losses while keeping the end‐to‐end delay of real‐time traffic flow in an acceptable value. The NS‐2 simulation results show that our proposed scheme can significantly maintain application quality during layer‐2 and ‐3 handoffs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cross-Interaction Between Au/Sn and Cu/Sn Interfacial Reactions

The cross-interaction between Sn/Cu and Sn/Au interfacial reactions in an Au/Sn/Cu sandwich structure was studied. Field-emission electron probe microanalysis (FE-EPMA) revealed that the Cu content in the three Au-Sn phases (AuSn, AuSn₂, and AuSn₄) was very low, less than 1 at.%. This means␣that Cu from the opposite Cu foil did not participate in the interfacial reaction at the Sn/Au interface. On the opposite Sn/Cu side, Au-substituted (Cu,Au)₆Sn₅ formed within the initial 1 min of reflow. With prolonged reflow, the Au content in the Au-substituted (Cu,Au)₆Sn₅ increased and it transformed into a Cu-substituted (Au,Cu)Sn phase with 25 at.% Cu after 1 min of reflow at 250°C. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern confirmed the phase transformation of Au-substituted (Cu,Au)₆Sn₅ to Cu-substituted (Au,Cu)Sn phase. In addition, there was greater Au consumption in the Au/Sn/Cu sandwich joint structure than in the single Au/Sn reaction case, due to some of the Au participating in the opposite Sn/Cu interfacial reaction.     

Topology-aided cross-layer fast handoff designs for IEEE 802.11/mobile IP environments

This study first reviews state-of-the-art fast handoff techniques for IEEE 802.11 or Mobile IP networks. Based on that review, topology-aided cross-layer fast handoff designs are proposed for Mobile IP over IEEE 802.1.1 networks. Time-sensitive applications, such as voice over IP (VoIP), cannot tolerate the long layer-2 plus layer-3 handoff delays that arise in IEEE 802.11/Mobile IP environments. Cross-layer designs are increasingly adopted to shorten the handoff latency time. Handoff-related layer-2 triggers may reduce the delay between layer-2 handoff completion and the associated layer-3 handoff activation. Cross-layer topology information, such as the association between 802.11 access points and Mobile IP mobility agents, together with layer-2 triggers, can be utilized by a mobile node to start layer-3 handoff-related activities, such as agent discovery, address configuration, and registration, in parallel with or prior to those of layer-2 handoff. Experimental results indicate that the whole handoff. delay can meet the delay requirement of VoIP applications when layer-3 handoff activities occur prior to layer-2 handoffs.     

Rewritable Electrically Controllable Liquid Crystal Actuators

Conductive structures determine the functions and actuation modes of electrically responsive soft actuators. The rewritability of conductive structures is highly desirable but has not been realized in electro-driven actuators. Typically, once conductive pathways are established, they can hardly be modified; thus, the function of the actuator is permanently fixed. In this study, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is developed as a rewritable conductive coating for actuators composed of liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs). This enables reconfigurable, adaptive, and precisely controllable electro-driven motions and the repeated use of the same actuator for various purposes without disposal. Moreover, different PEDOT:PSS layers can be coated onto different regions, thus enabling the assembly of different actuation behaviors in a monolithic actuator under a single input voltage. Unlike all previously reported soft actuators that respond to electricity and light, opposite shape changes in an actuator with a series circuit can be performed under these two stimuli. Furthermore, when combining LCEs with dynamic covalent bonds, the PEDOT:PSS-coated LCE (PEDOT:PSS-LCE) actuator can be reprogrammed based on two different mechanisms: rewriting the conductive PEDOT:PSS patterns and re-aligning the LCEs. This versatile method can be adapted to other types of actuators.     

Admission Control Algorithms for Revenue Optimization with QoS Guarantees in Mobile Wireless Networks

We propose and analyze call admission control algorithms integrated with pricing for revenue optimization with QoS guarantees to serve multiple service classes in mobile wireless networks. Traditional admission control algorithms make acceptance decisions for new and handoff calls to satisfy certain QoS constraints such as the dropping probability of handoff calls and the blocking probability of new calls being lower than a pre-specified threshold. We analyze a class of partitioning and threshold-based admission control algorithms that make acceptance/rejection decisions not only to satisfy QoS requirements but also to optimize the revenue of the system by taking prices and arrival/departure information of service calls into account. We show that for a “charge-by-time” pricing scheme, there exist optimal resource allocation settings under which the partitioning and threshold-based admission control algorithms would produce the maximum revenue obtainable by the system without sacrificing QoS requirements. Further, we develop a new hybrid admission control algorithm which outperforms both partitioning and threshold-based admission control algorithms over a wide range of input parameters characterizing the operating environment and service workload conditions. Methods for utilizing of the analysis results for realtime admission control for revenue optimization with QoS guarantees are described with numerical data given to demonstrate the applicability.     

Spatiotemporal Magnetocaloric Microenvironment for Guiding the Fate of Biodegradable Polymer Implants

The degradation behavior of implants is significantly important for bone repair. However, it is still unprocurable to spatiotemporally regulate the degradation of the implants to match bone ingrowth. In this paper, a magneto-controlled biodegradation model is established to explore the degradation behavior of magnetic scaffolds in a magnetothermal microenvironment generated by an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The results demonstrate that the scaffolds can be heated by magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) under AMF, which dramatically accelerated scaffold degradation. Especially, magnetic NPs modified by oleic acid with a better interface compatibility exhibit a greater heating efficiency to further facilitate the degradation. Furthermore, the molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the enhanced motion correlation between magnetic NPs and polymer matrix can accelerate the energy transfer. As a proof-of-concept, the feasibility of magneto-controlled degradation for implants is demonstrated, and an optimizing strategy for better heating efficiency of nanomaterials is provided, which may have great instructive significance for clinical medicine.