WWRF - the Wireless World Research Forum

Third generation mobile radio systems are currently being deployed in different regions of the world. Future systems beyond the third generation are already under discussion in international bodies and forums such as ITU, WWRF and R&D programmes of the European Union and in other regions. These systems will determine the research and standardisation activities in mobile and wireless communication in the next years. Based on experience of the third generation, future systems will be developed mainly from the user perspective with respect to potential services and applications including traffic demands. Therefore, the Wireless World Research Forum was launched in 2001 as a global and open initiative of manufacturers, network operators, SMEs, R&D centres and the academic domain. WWRF is focused on the vision of such systems - the Wireless World-and potential key technologies. This paper describes the international context of activities on systems beyond third generation, the goals, objectives and structure of WWRF, the user perspective as the starting point for a future system design and the key enabling technologies for the Wireless World.     

A high dynamic magnetooptic current transformer with advanced signal processing

In the power industry, current has to be measured for metering and protection purposes. Conventional sensor setups need two transformers to realize the high dynamic range. By the described mixed analog/digital signal processing algorithm, the inherent low photonic noise of the input signals was maintained up to the full sensor output. The system design is based on a rigorous investigation and optimization of the error sources in the signal processing chain. The results are proved by a demonstrator, achieving a dynamic range from 0.05 to 100 times the rated current and a ratio root mean square error of less than 0.5%.     

Subcutaneous soft tissue tumours at the site of implanted microchips in mice

An experiment using 4279 CBA/J mice of two generations was carried out to investigate the influence of parental preconceptual exposure to X-ray radiation or to chemical carcinogens. Microchips were implanted subcutaneously in the dorsolateral back for unique identification of each animal. The animals were kept for lifespan under standard laboratory conditions. In 36 mice a circumscribed neoplasm occurred in the area of the implanted microchip. Females were significantly more frequently affected than male mice. An influence of age or different treatment on the s.c. tumour incidence in two mice generations could not be observed. Macroscopically, firm, pale white nodules up to 25 mm in diameter with the microchip in its center were found. Microscopically, soft tissue tumours such as fibrosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma were detected.     

Sizing and characterization of ultrasonic indications using imaging techniques

For discontinuity analysis more and more sophisticated methods are used in the nuclear industry. The rapid development of computer technology offers the possibility to use imaging techniques. Instead of specialized focusing transducers the more flexible synthetic focusing techniques can be used. Presupposing that the material is ultrasonically isotropic and homogeneous, imaging techniques make it possible to visualize the reflectivity of the volume to be tested.Siemens developed the high speed holographic instrument Holo 3000 in cooperation with the University of Bochum. In this paper the method of Broad Band Holography is presented in the context of other imaging techniques.Different filtering methods have been investigated in order to achieve highest resolution and best signal to noise ratio with a given dataset. Different transducers respective wave modes have been applied to austenitic welds and claddings. The reconstructed image was evaluated using image processing techniques in order to investigate the possibilities to produce results easier to be quantifed than the original reconstruction.The results presented show a reliable expert tool for analysis measurements which also can be used for flaw detection.     

Central poststroke pain and Wallenberg''s lateral medullary infarction: frequency, character, and determinants in 63 patients

BACKGROUND: Questionnaire-based surveys from several countries have consistently detected adverse health associated with home dampness and mould growth. METHODS: To test the validity of questions commonly used to indicate the presence of indoor mould, questionnaires were administered in 403 homes where dust samples were taken for viable fungi and air samples for ergosterol. RESULTS: Geometric mean concentrations of the total viable fungi were 255 (SE 116) x 10(3) CFU/g when mouldy odours were reported and 155 (SE 55) when odours were not reported (P = 0.01). Similarly, reported water damage was associated with a 50% increase (P = 0.06). Geometric mean concentrations of the predominantly indoor-source fungi, Aspergillus plus Penicillium, were twice as high when mould or mildew was reported than when not mentioned (P = 0.01). The presence of reported mould or water damage was unrelated to the presence of detectable levels of ergosterol. There was evidence for reporting bias: in the presence of low concentrations of viable fungi in dust, respondents reporting allergies were more likely to report visible mould growth (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9-3.5, P = 0.10. In the presence of elevated concentrations of dust fungi, respondents who smoked were less likely to report visible mould growth, (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.7, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Reported mould, water damage, and mouldy odours were associated with elevated levels of indoor fungi. However, inaccuracy was high and there was evidence of a systematic reporting bias. Future research should concentrate on developing accurate objective measures of exposure to fungi, and then use this information to develop valid questionnaires. Currently, objective measures not questionnaires, are recommended to clarify the health effects of indoor fungi.     

Partial summations of stationary sequences of non-Gaussian random variables

The distribution of the sum of a finite number of identically distributed random variables is in many cases easily determined given that the variables are independent. The moments of any order of the sum can always be expressed by the moments of the single term without computational problems. However, in the case of dependency between the terms even calculation of a few of the first moments of the sum presents serious computational problems.By use of computerized symbol manipulations it is practicable to obtain exact moments of partial sums of stationary sequences of mutually dependent lognormal variables or polynomials of standard Gaussian variables. The dependency structure is induced by specifying the autocorrelation structure of the sequence of standard Gaussian variables. Particularly useful polynomials are the Winterstein approximations that distributionally fit with non-Gaussian variables up to the moments of the fourth order [Winterstein, S. R. Nonlinear vibration models for extremes and fatigue. J. Engng Mech. ASCE 114 (1988) 1772–1790]¹. A method to obtain the Winterstein approximation to a partial sum of a sequence of Winterstein approximations is explained and results are given for different autocorrelation functions of the generic Gaussian sequence.The primary purpose of the investigation is to provide a tool for judging the validity of the central limit theorem argument in specific applicational situations occurring in stochastic mechanics, that is, to judge the speed of convergence of the distribution of a sum (or an integral) of mutually dependent random variables to the Gaussian distribution. The paper is closely related to the work in Ditlevsen et al. [Ditlevsen, O., Mohr, G. & Hoffmeyer, P. Integration of non-Gaussian fields. Prob. Engng Mech 11 (1996) 15–23]².