Operating Penalties in Single-Fiber Operation 10-Gb/s, 1024-Way Split, 110-km Long-Reach Optical Access Networks

We report for the first time optical signal-to-noise penalties which lead to performance degradations in single-fiber long-reach optical access networks when compared to identical dual-fiber systems. A simplified architecture, with reduced optical amplifier count compared to previous work, for single-fiber operation of a symmetrical 10-Gb/s, 1024-way split, 110-km long-reach optical access network is presented and demonstrated. In addition, a possible solution to remove the optical signal-to-noise penalty is suggested     

Multi-level attention model for tracking and segmentation of objects under complex occlusion

A multi-level attention framework for tracking and segmentation of humans and objects under complex occlusions is investigated, featuring an effective probabilistic appearance-based technique for pixel reclassification during object grouping and splitting. A novel ’spatial-depth affinity metric’ is introduced in the conventional likelihood function, utilising information of both spatial locations of pixels and dynamic depth ordering of the component objects in grouping. Depth ordering estimation is achieved through a combination of top-down and bottom-up approach. Experiments on some realworld difficult scenarios of low quality and highly compressed videos demonstrate the very promising results achieved.     

Organic Nanoparticles: Preparation,Self‐Assembly,and Properties

The strong tendency of organic nanoparticles to rapidly self‐assemble into highly aligned superlattices at room temperature when solution‐cast from dispersions or spray‐coated directly onto various substrates is described. The nanoparticle dispersions are stable for years. The novel precipitation process used is believed to result in molecular distances and alignments in the nanoparticles that are not normally possible. Functional organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs)—which have the same host–dopant emissive‐material composition—with process‐tunable electroluminescence have been built with these nanoparticles, indicating the presence of novel nanostructures. For example, only changing the conditions of the precipitation process changes the OLED emission from green light to yellow.     

On the effects of the packet size distribution on the packet loss process

Real-time multimedia applications have to use forward error correction (FEC) anderror concealment techniques to cope with losses in today’s best-effort Internet. The efficiency of these solutions is known however to depend on the correlation between losses in the media stream. In this paper we investigate how the packet size distribution affects the packet loss process, that is, the distribution of the number of lost packets in a block, the related FEC performance and the average loss run length. We present mathematical models for the loss process of the MMPP+M/D/1/K and the MMPP+M/M/1/K queues; we validate the models via simulations, and compare the results to simulation results with an MPEG-4 coded video trace. We conclude that the deterministic packet size distribution (PSD) not only results in lower stationary loss probability than the exponential one, but also gives a less correlated loss process, both at a particular average link load and at a particular stationary loss probability as seen by the media stream.Our results show that for applications that can only measure the packet loss probability, the effects of the PSD on FEC performance are higher in access networks, where a single multimedia stream might affect the multiplexing behavior. Our results show that the effects of the PSD on FEC performance are higher in access networks, where a single multimedia stream might affect the multiplexing behavior and thus can improve the queuing performance by decreasing the variance of its PSD.     

Controlled elements for designing ciphers suitable to efficient VLSI implementation

This work considers the problem of increasing the performance of the ciphers based on Data-Dependent (DD) operations (DDO) for VLSI implementations. New minimum size primitives are proposed to design DDOs. Using advanced DDOs instead of DD permutations (DDP) in the DDP-based iterative ciphers Cobra-H64 and Cobra-H128 the number of rounds has been significantly reduced yielding enhancement of the “performance per cost” value and retaining security at the level of indistinguishability from a random transformation. To obtain further enhancement of this parameter a new crypto-scheme based on the advanced DDOs is proposed. The FPGA implementation of the proposed crypto-scheme achieves higher throughput value and minimizes the allocated resources than the conventional designs. Design of the DDO boxes of different orders is considered and their ASIC implementation is estimated.     

Mean vs. variance trade-off analysis in multi-antenna multi-user channels

In multi-user communications, the access point (AP) has several alternatives for distributing the scarce resources among users. Since there exists a trade-off between the global performance and the individual needs, an analytical framework to study fairness is derived, which completes the scope given by the existing fairness indexes in the literature. The framework proposed in this paper is a way to interpret fairness that has been inspired by portfolio selection; basically, it analyzes the mean vs. standard deviation trade-off. In this work, the target application is a multi-antenna AP transmitting simultaneously to several single-antenna terminals, although this framework is valid to analyze other procedures in multi-user communications.     

A tree partitioning dynamic policy for OVSF codes assignment in wideband CDMA

This paper proposes some novel techniques to accommodate users with different rate requirements in a wideband code-division multiple-access system employing orthogonal variable spreading factor codes. Two simple static code assignment strategies are first considered, and an improvement based on multicode assignment. Then the new idea of tree partitioning is introduced and used to devise a dynamic code reassignment algorithm. The behavior of these different techniques is experimentally investigated, in terms of call blocking probability and number of required reassignments. The tree partitioning method exhibits very good performances.     

Laterally coupled buried heterostructure high-Q ring resonators

All-buried InP-InGaAsP ring resonators laterally coupled to bus waveguides are demonstrated. The buried configurations offer a lower built-in refractive index step along the resonator periphery, which affords enhanced optical coupling coefficients between the waveguides and reduced scattering losses caused by the resonator sidewall imperfections. Very low optical intensity attenuations of 0.4 cm/sup -1/ and coupling-limited quality factors of greater than 10/sup 5/ are observed from 200-/spl mu/m-radii ring resonators. The measured spectral linewidth is as narrow as 0.0145 nm.     

On the Feasibility of Growing Pb[(Zn1/3Nb2/3)0.91Ti0.09]O3 Single Crystals

Pb[(Zn_1/3Nb_2/3)_0.91Ti_0.09]O₃ (PZNT91/9) single crystals were grown by two methods: from solution using PbO as a self‐fluxing agent (SC method) and directly from the melt without fluxing (MC method). In both growth methods, an allomeric Pb[(Mg_1/3‐Nb_2/3)_0.69Ti_0.31]O₃ (PMNT69/31) single crystal was used as a seed. X‐ray diffraction patterns of ground crystals showed that phase‐pure perovskite PZNT91/9 single crystals were successfully fabricated by the above two methods. The composition of the crystals obtained by both the SC and MC methods was analyzed using X‐ray fluorescence, which confirmed that the crystal composition is close to the nominal value, although volatilization of PbO and segregation during crystal growth are inevitable. The MC PZNT91/9 crystals exhibit excellent piezoelectric properties, with the piezoelectric constant, d₃₃, in the range of 1800–2200 pC N^–1. This value is comparable to that of the SC crystals. However, the MC crystals show an abnormal dielectric behavior. In contrast with the SC crystals, in the MC crystals a much broader dielectric peak appears in the dielectric response curves, accompanied by a much lower peak temperature of around 105 °C. Furthermore, frequency dispersion is apparent over a much wider temperature range (even more apparent than in pure relaxors), where a large, i.e., about 70 °C, full width at half maximum (FWHM) for the dielectric peaks is observed in the dielectric response. It is speculated that such an unusual phenomenon correlates with defects, microinhomogeneities, and polar regions in the as‐grown MC crystals. The origins of this abnormality have not been interpreted in detail until now. However, optical observation of the domain structure confirms that both the SC and MC crystals possess complex structural states.