Tween 20-stabilized gold nanoparticles combined with adenosine triphosphate-BODIPY conjugates for the fluorescence detection of adenosine with more than 1000-fold selectivity

This study describes the development of a simple, enzyme-free, label-free, sensitive, and selective system for detecting adenosine based on the use of Tween 20-stabilized gold nanoparticles (Tween 20-AuNPs) as an efficient fluorescence quencher for boron dipyrromethene-conjugated adenosine 5′-triphosphate (BODIPY-ATP) and as a recognition element for adenosine. BODIPY-ATP can interact with Tween 20-AuNPs through the coordination between the adenine group of BODIPY-ATP and Au atoms on the NP surface, thereby causing the fluorescence quenching of BODIPY-ATP through the nanometal surface energy transfer (NSET) effect. When adenosine attaches to the NP surface, the attached adenosine exhibits additional electrostatic attraction to BODIPY-ATP. As a result, the presence of adenosine enhances the efficiency of AuNPs in fluorescence quenching of BODIPY-ATP. The AuNP-induced fluorescence quenching of BODIPY-ATP progressively increased with an increase in the concentration of adenosine; the detection limit at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for adenosine was determined to be 60 nM. The selectivity of the proposed system was more than 1000-fold for adenosine over any adenosine analogs and other nucleotides. The proposed system combined with a phenylboronic acid-containing column was successfully applied to the determination of adenosine in urine.     

Dynamic bandwidth allocation for multimedia traffic with rate guarantee and fair access in WCDMA systems

Packet scheduling in a WCDMA system poses a new challenge due to its nature of variable bit rates and location-dependent, time-varying channel conditions. In this work, three new downlink scheduling algorithms for a WCDMA base station are proposed to support multimedia transmissions. Using a credit management and a compensation mechanism, our algorithms provide rate guarantee and fair access to mobile terminals. In particular, we propose to allow a user to simultaneously use multiple OVSF codes in a time-sharing manner, which we call a multicode, shared model. Using multiple codes allows us to compensate those users suffering from bad communication quality or even errors. The proposed schemes can tolerate a multistate link condition (compared to the typically assumed two-state, or good-or-bad, link condition) by adjusting the number of OVSF codes and the spreading factor of each code. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes do achieve higher bandwidth utilization while keeping transmission delay low.     

Harmonic broadcasting for video-on-demand service

Using conventional broadcasting, if we want to support a 120-minute popular movie every 10 minutes, we need 12 video channels. Assuming the set-top box at the client end can buffer portions of the playing video on a disk, pyramid broadcasting schemes can reduce the bandwidth requirements to 5.7 channels. We present a new scheme which only needs 3.2 channels. For a movie with length D minutes, if we want to reduce the viewer waiting time to D/N minutes, we only need to allocate H(N) video channels to broadcast the movie periodically, where H(N) is the harmonic number of N, H(N)=1+1/2+…+1/N. In order to support video-on-demand service for a popular movie, the new scheme greatly reduces the bandwidth requirements     

Initial and boundary conditions in multidimensional wave digital filter algorithms for plate vibration

Recently, multidimensional wave digital filter (MDWDF) structures have been proposed for the modeling of plate vibration problems. In this paper, we discuss how initial and boundary conditions may be properly embedded into such an algorithm in terms of the state quantities that are an integral part of the algorithm. Due to the essential feature of fully-local interconnectivity in the MDWDF model, different types of boundary conditions can be easily satisfied in a very simple and efficient manner. Instead of remodifying the whole algorithm, usually required by finite elements based methods, boundary conditions in terms of state outputs are simply attached to the model. This feature is especially useful when dealing with the mixed-edges boundary conditions frequently encountered in practice. Graphical results obtained from implementing the MDWDF algorithm are given to further demonstrate the capacities of the method in efficiently handling a fourth-order Mindlin plate vibration system with various types of boundary conditions.     

A borrow-and-return model to reduce client waiting time for broadcasting-based VOD services

One way to broadcast a popular video is to use multiple channels, each broadcasting a portion of the video periodically. Among the many schemes falling in this category, this paper focuses on several representative schemes (such as FB, Pagoda, and RFS ), which all share a FSFC property by repeatedly broadcasting the first segment of the video on the first channel. We propose a general borrow-and-return model that can be immediately applied to any scheme owning the FSFC property to reduce the viewer's waiting time without increasing the number of channels required. Given a group of videos, the basic idea is to lend the free time slots of videos without viewers to those videos with viewers to speedup the latter's transmission. By so doing, some bandwidth may be vacated by the borrowing videos to benefit others' transmission. The effectiveness of this model is analyzed by applying it to the FB scheme.     

Solving a multi-objective simulation model using a hybrid response surface method and lexicographical goal programming approach—a case study on integrated circuit ink-marking machines

In an integrated circuit (IC) packaging plant, the ink-marking machine has a significantly higher throughput than the other processing machines. When periodic demand surges result in backlog orders or in lost customers, there is a need to increase system throughput. To resolve this problem, the purchase of a new machine often results in excess capacity in addition to added operation and acquisition costs. Therefore, the productivity improvement effort has priority over the machine purchase decision. This paper seeks to optimize both throughput and cycle time performance for IC ink-marking machines. While throughput increase is the primary objective, there is an acceptable cycle time limit for a feasible solution. It is a multi-objective problem. The proposed solution methodology constructed a simulation metamodel for the ink-marking operation by using a fractional factorial experimental design and regression analysis. It is then solved by a hybrid response surface method and lexicographical goal programming approach. Solution results illustrated a successful application.     

I-WAP: an intelligent WAP site management system

The popularity regarding wireless communications is such that more and more WAP sites have been developed with wireless markup language (WML). Meanwhile, to translate hypertext markup language (HTML) pages into proper WML ones becomes imperative since it is difficult for WAP users to read most contents designed for PC users via their mobile phone screens. However, for those sites that have been maintained with hypertext markup language (HTML), considerable time and manpower costs will be incurred to rebuild them with WML. In this paper, we propose an intelligent WAP site management system to cope with these problems. With the help of the intelligent management system, the original contents of HTML Web sites can be automatically translated to proper WAP content in an efficient way. As a consequence, the costs associated with maintaining WAP sites could be significantly reduced. The management system also allows the system manager to define the relevance of numerals and keywords for removing unimportant or meaningless contents. The original contents will be reduced and reorganized to fit the size of mobile phone screens, thus reducing the communication cost and enhancing readability. Numerical results gained through various experiments have evinced the effective performance of the WAP management system.