A Neural Network Approach for Signal Detection in Digital Communications

In this paper, we propose a new approach for signal detection in wireless digital communications based on the neural network with transient chaos and time-varying gain (NNTCTG), and give a concrete model of the signal detector after appropriate transformations and mappings. It is well known that the problem of the maximum likelihood signal detection can be described as a complex optimization problem that has so many local optima that conventional Hopfield-type neural networks fail to solve. By refraining from the serious local optima problem of Hopfield-type neural networks, the NNTCTG makes use of the time-varying parameters of the recurrent neural network to control the evolving behavior of the network so that the network undergoes the transition from chaotic behavior to gradient convergence. It has richer and more flexible dynamics rather than conventional neural networks only with point attractors, so that it can be expected to have much ability to search for globally optimal or near-optimal solutions. After going through a transiently inverse-bifurcation process, the NNTCTG can approach the global optimum or the neighborhood of global optimum of our problem. Simulation experiments have been performed to show the effectiveness and validation of the proposed neural network based method for the signal detection in digital communications.     

A fully soft-switched extended-period quasi-resonantpower-factor-correction circuit

This paper presents the design criteria, procedure, and implementation of a soft-switched power-factor-correction (PFC) circuit based on the extended-period quasi-resonant (EPQR) principles. All power electronic devices including switches and diodes in the circuit are fully soft switched. The design method is demonstrated in a prototype circuit. The operating principles are confirmed with computer simulation and experimental results. A comparison of the EP-QR operation and zero-voltage-transition (ZVT) pulse-width modulation (PWM) method     

Energy-efficient video streaming over Bluetooth using rateless coding

Energy-efficient error control for IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth) video communication is proposed. The scheme is based on block-oriented incremental redundancy provided by rateless coding and receiver feedback. Results are presented for time-sensitive video streaming applications under a Markovian channel model. When the proposed algorithm is compared to variations of Bluetooth forward error control, there are improvements of around 3 dB in received video quality and of over 10% in energy efficiency.     

ADI-FDTD Method With Fourth Order Accuracy in Time

This letter presents an unconditionally stable alternating direction implicit finite-difference time-domain (ADI-FDTD) method with fourth order accuracy in time. Analytical proof of unconditional stability and detailed analysis of numerical dispersion are presented. Compared to second order ADI-FDTD and six-steps SS-FDTD, the fourth order ADI-FDTD generally achieves lower phase velocity error for sufficiently fine mesh. Using finer mesh gridding also reduces the phase velocity error floor, which dictates the accuracy limit due to spatial discretization errors when the time step size is reduced further.     

Roles of rhenium diimine complexes as metal‐ion probes and photosensitizers in functional polyurethanes

Polyurethanes incorporated with rhenium diimine complexes were synthesized. The polymers exhibited interesting morphologies and solution properties. Results from gel permeation chromatography suggested the formation of polymer aggregates in solutions. The polymers could act as probes for metal ions. The addition of metal ions to polymer solutions led to significant changes in the electronic absorption properties of the polymer solutions. This was attributed to the interactions between the polyether moieties and metal ions. The metal complexes could also act as efficient photosensitizers. After doping with charge‐transport viologens, the photoconductivity of the polymers was greatly enhanced. The experimental quantum efficiency was simulated with Onsager's theory. The thermalization distances and the primary yields were typically 12–14 Å and 10^?3, respectively. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1708–1715, 2003     

Crystallographic report: Diiodo[tris(2‐pyridyl)amine]mercury(II), [(C5H4N)3N]HgI2

In mononuclear HgI₂[(C₅H₄N)₃N], mercury is tetrahedrally coordinated by two nitrogen atoms of a tris(2‐pyridyl)amine ligand and two iodides. The coordination moieties are connected by weak intermolecular Hg(II)···I interactions to give a one‐dimensional structure. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Living polymerization of styrene initiated by mercaptan/ε‐caprolactam

The bulk polymerization of styrene initiated by ?‐caprolactam (CL) and n‐dodecyl mercaptan (RSH) has been explored. This novel polymerization system shows living characteristics. For example, the molecular weight of the resulting polymers increases with conversion, and the system has the ability to form diblock copolymers and so forth. The polymer chain end contains thiol and lactam structures, which we have investigated with Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR techniques. Electron spin resonance spectra and theoretical calculations by the Hartree–Fock methods have been used to examine the mechanism. The results reveal that the initial polymerization starts from thiol via a chain‐transfer reaction, and the propagation proceeds by the insertion of a monomer between the terminal group and the intermediate structure of lactam. Finally, the polymerization kinetics have been examined. The polymerization rate varies linearly with the concentration of CL and RSH, and this confirms the mechanism. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4976–4993, 2004     

Behavior and surface energies of polybenzoxazines formed by polymerization with argon,oxygen, and hydrogen plasmas

Polybenzoxazine (PBZZ) thin films can be fabricated by the plasma‐polymerization technique with, as the energy source, plasmas of argon, oxygen, or hydrogen atoms and ions. When benzoxazine (BZZ) films are polymerized through the use of high‐energy argon atoms, electronegative oxygen atoms, or excited hydrogen atoms, the PBZZ films that form possess different properties and morphologies in their surfaces. High‐energy argon atoms provide a thermodynamic factor to initiate the ring‐opening polymerization of BZZ and result in the polymer surface having a grid‐like structure. The ring‐opening polymerization of the BZZ film that is initiated by cationic species such as oxygen atoms in plasma, is propagated around nodule structures to form the PBZZ. The excited hydrogen atom plasma initiates both polymerization and decomposition reactions simultaneously in the BZZ film and results in the formation of a porous structure on the PBZZ surface. We evaluated the surface energies of the PBZZ films polymerized by the action of these three plasmas by measuring the contact angles of diiodomethane and water droplets. The surface roughness of the films range from 0.5 to 26 nm, depending on the type of carrier gas and the plasma‐polymerization time. By estimating changes in thickness, we found that the PBZZ film synthesized by the oxygen plasma‐polymerization process undergoes the slowest rate of etching in CF₄ plasma. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4063–4074, 2004     

Enantiomeric separation of basic drugs with partially filled serum albumin as chiral selector in capillary electrophoresis.

A reliable method is presented for the chiral separation of three basic drugs (mexiletine, chlorpheniramine and propranolol) with serum albumins (human and porcine, HSA and PSA) as chiral selectors by capillary electrophoresis in combination with the partial filling technique. Based on the systematic optimization of operation variables, the chiral separation of mexiletine, chlorpheniramine and propranolol was achieved in the pH 7.4 phosphate buffer by using HSA, PSA and PSA as selectors, respectively. The chiral recognition ability of HSA and PSA was compared. HSA and PSA show a different chiral recognition ability for each of the three drugs. In addition, the association constants between enantiomeric drugs and proteins were determined to be 2.00 and 3.80 x 10(2) M(-1) for mexiletine and HSA, 0.59 and 1.12 x 10(3) M(-1) for chlorpheniramine and PSA, and 0.87 and 1.42 x 10(3) M(-1) for propranolol and PSA. The method for the chiral separation and determination of association constants possesses the advantages of simple performance, effective avoiding of the interference of the UV detection from protein, and lowering of the reagent consumption.     

Spectrophotometric and AAS determination of trace amounts of cobalt after preconcentration by using alpha-benzilmonoxime-microcrystalline naphthalene.

The formed cobalt-a-benzilmonoxime complex was adsorbed onto microcrystalline naphthalene. Then it was determined by zero and first derivative spectrophotometry and by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) after dissolving into chloroform and methylisobutylketone (MIBK), respectively. Under optimum conditions, cobalt in the range of 1.0 - 20.0, 0.4 - 30.0 and 2.5 - 50.0 microg could be determined by spectrophotometry, first derivative spectrophotometry and AAS method, respectively. By the method, a preconcentration factor equal to approximately 30 for cobalt was obtained. The effect of diverse ions on the determination of 5.0 microg cobalt was also studied. The method was successfully applied to some pharmaceuticals and synthetic alloy samples.