On the comparison between OFDM and single carrier modulation with aDFE using a frequency-domain feedforward filter

Most comparisons between single carrier and multicarrier modulations assume frequency-domain linear equalization of the channel. We propose a new frequency-domain decision feedback equalizer (FD-DFE) for single carrier modulation, which makes use of a data block transmission format similar to that of the orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing with cyclic prefix (OFDM). The scheme is a nonadaptive DFE where the feedforward part is implemented in the frequency domain, while feedback signal is generated by time-domain filtering. Through simulations in a HIPERLAN-2 scenario, we show that FD-DFE yields a capacity very close to that of OFDM. This result is also confirmed by analytical derivations for a particular case. Furthermore, when no channel loading is considered, FD-DFE performs closely to OFDM for the same averaged frame error rate in a coded transmission. Design methods of the FD-DFE are investigated and a reduced complexity technique is developed, with the result that FD-DFE and OFDM have a similar computational complexity in signal processing     

Worst case equalizer for noncoherent HIPERLAN receivers

Coherent detection of HIPERLAN Gaussian minimum-shift keying signals calls for complex and expensive receivers. However, when the channel delay spread is limited to at the most 50% of the symbol time and a reliable line-of-sight component of the radiated signal exists (Rician fading model), noncoherent detectors are capable of achieving a good performance. Based on the above motivations, we compare four different demodulation techniques, namely the following: (1) one-bit differential detector; (2) discriminator detector; (3) limiter discriminator detector; and (4) limiter discriminator integrator detector (LDID). The intersymbol interference introduced by these demodulators is nonlinear (with respect to the data symbols) and a decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) based on a mean square-error criterion may not be appropriate. Moreover, at this high speed, a DFE may be very complex to implement. Hence, we propose a new DFE design method that increases the eye-diagram aperture by removing the worst case interference. Performance of the above demodulators in the presence of a simple nonlinear DFE (with feedback part only) is computed in terms of the bit-error rate (BER) by means of the saddle-point approximation. This procedure, for static channels, turns out to be a very general tool with a simple and robust implementation. The same method can be applied, for multipath fading channels, to the BER evaluation as part of a semianalytic approach. The main conclusion from this work is that for LDID demodulators and in the presence of Rician fading channels with an average normalized root mean square delay spread of 0.3 and dual antenna diversity, the new equalizer lowers the outage probability from 60% to 10% at a BER of 10^-4     

Iterative design and detection of a DFE in the frequency domain

Error-propagation phenomena and computational complexity of the filters' design are important drawbacks of existing decision-feedback equalizers (DFE) for dispersive channels. In this paper, we propose a new iterative block DFE (IBDFE) which operates iteratively on blocks of the received signal. Indeed, a suitable data-transmission format must be used to allow an efficient implementation of the equalizer in the frequency domain, by means of the discrete Fourier transform. Two design methods are considered. In the first method, hard detected data are used as input of the feedback, and filters are designed according to the correlation between detected and transmitted data. In the second method, the feedback signal is directly designed from soft detection of the equalized signal at the previous iteration. Estimators of the parameters involved in the IBDFE design are also derived. From performance simulations on a wireless dispersive fading channel, we observed that the IBDFE outperforms existing DFEs. Moreover, the IBDFE exhibits a reduction of the computational complexity when compared against existing schemes, both in signal processing and in filter design.     

Multitrellis Viterbi algorithm for indoor systems using narrowbeamantennas

In earlier work, the performance (in terms of data eye closure) of a threshold detector in 2- and 4-PSK modulation schemes has been analyzed for wireless indoor systems using narrowbeam antennas. Here, assuming the channel is known, a very efficient implementation of the Viterbi algorithm (VA) is included in the receiver, and a bit-error rate (BER) criterion is used to evaluate the receiver robustness to channel conditions. In contrast to the earlier work, it is seen that 4-PSK signals with VA detectors are indeed more robust than 2-PSK signals to channel conditions     

Red wine polyphenols protect n−3 more than n−6 polyunsaturated fatty acid from lipid peroxidation

Moderate red wine consumption is associated with decreased risk for cardiovascular disease; however, the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of red wine polyphenols (WP) on the oxidizability of human plasma fatty acids, in particular those most involved in the inflammatory response — archidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The oxidizability of the major fatty acids of plasma was determined by measuring their loss gaschromatographycally during peroxidation kinetics induced by 2′-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine)-dihydrochloride. The capacity of WP to scavenge 1,1,diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals, and trap total peroxyl radicals in plasma (TRAP) was also measured. WP (1.75–5 μg/mL) inhibited DPPH, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals and increased TRAP in a dose-dependent manner. WP (1.75 μg/mL) significantly protected all plasma PUFA from peroxidation but the protection of EPA and DHA was higher than that of AA. These results suggest that the association of WP to apolipoproteins makes EPA and DHA less accessible to hydro-soluble radicals than AA, thus providing a biochemical rationale for future ‘in vivo’ studies on the benefits to health of moderate red wine consumption.     

Access Protocols for Cellular High-Speed Data Services

In this contribution, novel access techniquesfor the future cellular information networks areproposed. To facilitate a fast deployment, the suggestedaccess techniques have been implemented over well-known technological platforms, namely DECT (DigitalEnhanced Cordless Telecommunications) containing aFDM/TDMA (Frequency Division Multiplex/Time DivisionMultiple Access) structure. Two situations areconsidered: i) no limits in the use of the all carriers atterminal (ideal case) and ii) maximum number ofcontiguous/simultaneous carriers at terminal (realisticcase). First, to grant a quick access channel, a random access mechanism with reservation is proposed.It is called contention-TDMA (C-TDMA). Next, in order tostudy the feasibility of better collision resolutionalgorithms for C-TDMA, a centralized approach called Centralized C-TDMA Demand Assignment(CC-TDMA-DA) has also been studied. For the ideal case,numerical results indicate that C-TDMA and CC-TDMA-DAyield similar throughput values in typical cellular scenarios. Also, CC-TDMA-DA tends to bepreferable for traffic sources with long messages andweak delay constraints, while C-TDMA performs better forbursty traffic sources with hard time requirements. Additional numerical results for the realisticcase have demonstrated that system performancedeteriorates little with respect to the ideal case interms of collisions, delays and throughputfigures.     

Performance of the Viterbi algorithm for interleaved convolutionalcodes

This paper presents a maximum-likelihood decoder for error-burst channels with a very efficient implementation. In particular, the encoder is formed of an interleaved convolutional code with generator polynomials of the type [g⁽¹⁾(D^I), g⁽²⁾(D^I)] (for a rate 1/2 coder), where I may assume a very high integer value. The decoder consists of the Viterbi algorithm (VA) optimized for these sparse polynomials. For a given decoded bit-error probability, the required delay time and memory requirements of this approach are more inferior by far than those of the traditional method of interleaving. Moreover, for bursts of an average length less than 1/2, this method provides better performance than the dual-mode burst-error-correcting algorithm     

Realization of Finite Impulse Response Filters Using Coefficients +1, 0, and -1

New classes of nonrecursive linear digital filters are proposed as alternatives to conventional methods for digital signal processing devices. In fact, the traditional approach, where signal samples are represented by 8-15 bit words, can be very expensive to implement due to the complexity of multibit multipliers and adders. Filter structures consisting of a transversal filter with tap coefficients restricted to - 1, 0, or + 1 and cascaded with simple recursive sections are proposed. Using a mean square error criterion, dynamic programming methods to select optimum sets of coefficient values for the taps are presented and evaluated. It is shown that these structures lend themselves to very simple hardware implementations and offer a valid alternative to the conventional filtering approach. Designs for several example filters are presented, and their implementation complexity is examined.     

New ribosome-inactivating proteins with polynucleotide:adenosine glycosidase and antiviral activities from Basella rubra L. and bougainvillea spectabilis Willd

New single-chain (type 1) ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) were isolated from the seeds of Basella rubra L. (two proteins) and from the leaves of Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. (one protein). These RIPs inhibit protein synthesis both in a cell-free system, with an IC50 (concentration causing 50% inhibition) in the 10(-10) M range, and by various cell lines, with IC50S in the 10(-8)-10(-6) M range. All three RIPs released adenine not only from rat liver ribosomes but also from Escherichia coli rRNA, polyadenylic acid, herring sperm DNA, and artichoke mottled crinkle virus (AMCV) genomic RNA, thus being polynucleotide:adenosine glycosidases. The proteins from Basella rubra had toxicity to mice similar to that of most type 1 RIPs (Barbieri et al., 1993, Biochim Biophys Acta 1154: 237-282) with an LD50 (concentration that is 50% lethal) < or = 8 mg.kg-1 body weight, whilst the RIP from Bougainvillea spectabilis had an LD50 > 32 mg.kg-1. The N-terminal sequence of the two RIPs from Basella rubra had 80-93% identity, whereas it differed from the sequence of the RIP from Bougainvillea spectabilis. When tested with antibodies against various RIPs, the RIPs from Basella gave some cross-reactivity with sera against dianthin 32, and weak cross-reactivity with momordin I and momorcochin-S, whilst the RIP from Bougainvillea did not cross-react with any antiserum tested. An RIP from Basella rubra and one from Bougainvillea spectabilis were tested for antiviral activity, and both inhibited infection of Nicotiana benthamiana by AMCV.     

Performance of digital DECT radio links based on semianalyticalmethods

We report a very efficient semianalytical approach for the performance evaluation of differential detection schemes for GMSK signals of the DECT standard. Precisely, for a given channel, the performance is determined by means of an analytical procedure which includes the saddlepoint approximation. We consider both static channels (with impulse response generated by the simulation program SIRCIM) and two-ray Rayleigh and log-normal fading channels. As a departure from previous works, our receiver includes an all-digital part after the analog differential detection scheme. The digital part includes: (1) a block for the estimation of both the optimum sampling phase and the nonlinear channel coefficients (by making use of the DECT training sequence), (2) a one-tap decision feedback (DF) equalizer, and (3) a block for the evaluation of the approximate optimum bias level (γ _e) in the threshold detector. Both the DF equalizer coefficient and γ_e are based on the nonlinear channel coefficients estimate. For channels with a normalized delay spread up to 0.2, the use of the optimum threshold together with the DF equalizer permits a gain of about 2 dB at BER=10^-6 with respect to a receiver without equalization and a zero-level decision threshold. In addition, we discover that, in indoor environments, the 2-bit GMSK detector performs roughly the same as the 1-bit detector. The threshold optimization is also effective in the presence of channels affected by fading. To support this statement, we report the performance of the 1-bit differential detection scheme combined with antenna selection diversity in the presence of a two-ray log-normal and Rayleigh fading channel