Upconverting diagnostics: Multiplex assays utilizing upconversion luminescence technology

Conventional diagnostics tests and technologies typically allow only a single analysis and result per test. The aim of this study was to propose robust and multiplex array-inwell test platforms based on oligonucleotide and protein arrays combining the advantages of simple instrumentation and upconverting phosphor (UCP) reporter technology. The UCPs are luminescent lanthanide-doped crystals that have a unique capability to convert infrared radiation into visible light. No autofluorescence is produced from the sample under infrared excitation enabling the development of highly sensitive assays. In this study, an oligonucleotide array-in-well hybridization assay was developed for the detection and genotyping of human adenoviruses. The study provided a verification of the advantages and potential of the UCP-based reporter technology in multiplex assays as well as anti-Stokes photoluminescence detection with a new anti- Stokes photoluminescence imager. The developed assay was technically improved and used to detect and genotype adenovirus types from clinical specimens. Based on the results of the epidemiological study, an outbreak of adenovirus type B03 was observed in the autumn of 2010. A quantitative array-in-well immunoassay was developed for three target analytes (prostate specific antigen, thyroid stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone). In this study, quantitative results were obtained for each analyte and the analytical sensitivities in buffer were in clinically relevant range. Another protein-based array-inwell assay was developed for multiplex serodiagnostics. The developed assay was able to detect parvovirus B19 IgG and adenovirus IgG antibodies simultaneously from serum samples according to reference assays. The study demonstrated that the UCPtechnology is a robust detection method for diverse multiplex imaging-based array-inwell assays.Perinteiset diagnostiset testit mahdollistavat vain yhden analyysin ja tuloksen määritystä kohden. Väitöskirjatyöni tavoitteena oli kehittää uudenlaisia järjestelmä kuopassa tyyppisiä mallintavia monianalyyttimäärityksiä, joissa yhdestä näytteestä yhdessä reaktiokaivossa voidaan mitata samanaikaisesti useita analyyttejä ja niiden pitoisuuksia. Kehitetyt monianalyyttimääritykset perustuvat sekä nukleiinihappojen että proteiinien mittaukseen hyödyntäen leimoina valoa tuottavia epäorgaanisia lantanidi-ioneja sisältäviä loisteainepartikkeleita (UCP). Näillä partikkeleilla on ainutlaatuinen kyky virittyä matalaenergisen infrapunavalon vaikutuksesta ja emittoida korkeaenergisen näkyvän valon aallonpituuksilla, mikä mahdollistaa autofluoresenssista vapaan mittauksen ja näin ollen herkkien määrityksien kehityksen. Väitöskirjatyössäni kehitin adenoviruksille DNA-tyypitysmäärityksen, joka perustui yksinauhaisen PCR-tuotteen ja adenovirus-tyyppispesifisten koettimien väliseen hybridisaatioreaktioon mikrotiitterilevyn kaivon pohjalla. Tulokset osoittivat, että UCP-leimateknologia ja uusi anti-Stokes luminesenssin kuvantamiseen kehitetty laite soveltuvat monianalyttimääritysten kvantitatiiviseen mittaukseen. Teknisesti parannettua adenovirusten DNA-tyypitysmenetelmää hyödynnettiin kliinisesti merkittävien adenovirustyyppien havaitsemisessa ja genotyypityksessä. Adenovirusinfektioiden epidemiologinen seuranta osoitti, että adenovirus tyyppi B03 aiheutti epidemian syksyllä 2010. Väitöskirjatyössäni kehitin myös kvantitatiivisen mallintavan monianalyytti-immunomäärityksen kolmelle antigeenille. Määrityksessä kaikille analyyteille saatiin kvantitatiivinen tulos, ja analyyttiset herkkyydet olivat kliinisesti merkittävällä alueella. Lisäksi väitöskirjatyössäni kehitin serologisen monianalyyttimäärityksen, jonka avulla mitattiin seerumista IgG-luokan adenovirusja parvovirus B19-vasta-aineita samanaikaisesti. Serologinen monianalyyttimääritys validoitiin näytepaneelilla ja tulokset korreloivat hyvin adenovirus IgG ja parvovirus B19 IgG referenssi-entsyymi-immunomäärityksien kanssa. Väitöskirjatyössäni osoitin, että UCP-teknologia soveltuu sekä oligonukleotidi- että proteiini-pohjaisten monianalyyttimääritysten kvantitatiiviseen kuvantamiseen.Siirretty Doriast

Soft Handoff in MC-CDMA Cellular Networks Supporting Multimedia Services

An adaptive resource reservation and handoff priority scheme, which jointly considers the characteristics from the physical, link and network layers, is proposed for a packet switching Multicode (MC)-CDMA cellular network supporting multimedia applications. A call admission region is derived for call admission control (CAC) and handoff management with the satisfaction of quality of service (QoS) requirements for all kinds of multimedia traffic, where the QoS parameters include the wireless transmission bit error rate (BER), the packet loss rate (PLR) and delay requirement. The BER requirement is guaranteed by properly arranging simultaneous packet transmissions, whereas the PLR and delay requirements are guaranteed by the proposed packet scheduling and partial packet integration scheme. To give service priority to handoff calls, a threshold-based adaptive resource reservation scheme is proposed on the basis of a practical user mobility model and a proper handoff request prediction scheme. The resource reservation scheme gives handoff calls a higher admission priority over new calls, and is designed to adjust the reservation-request time threshold adaptively according to the varying traffic load. The individual reservation requests form a common reservation pool, and handoff calls are served on a first-come-first-serve basis. By exploiting the transmission rate adaptability of video calls to the available radio resources, the resources freed from rate-adaptive high-quality video calls by service degradation can be further used to prioritize handoff calls. With the proposed resource reservation and handoff priority scheme, the dynamic properties of the system can be closely captured and a better grade of service (GoS) in terms of new call blocking and handoff call dropping probabilities(rates) can be achieved compared to other schemes in literature. Numerical results are presented to show the improvement of the GoS performance and the efficient utilization of the radio resources

Multiplex RT-PCR in the diagnosis of human picornaviruses and human respiratory viruses

The family Picornaviridae includes many human pathogens. Human enteroviruses (HEVs) exhibit a variety of clinical manifestations ranging from poliomyelitis and encephalomyelitis to respiratory infections and rashes. Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are the major causes of the common cold. Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) and Aichi virus (AV) are mostly detected in cases of gastroenteritis, and hepatitis A virus (HAV) causes hepatitis with favourable prognosis. In addition to HEVs and HRVs, a large number of viruses are recognized as respiratory pathogens. The conventional respiratory pathogens include influenza A and B viruses, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenoviruses (AdVs), parainfluenza viruses (PIVs) and the human coronaviruses (hCoVs) OC43 and 229E. Moreover, several new respiratory pathogens, such as human metapneumovirus (hMPV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and the hCoVs HKU1 and NL63 have been found during the 2000s. Human bocavirus (hBoV) is also increasingly being recognized as a true pathogen of humans. Since many clinical illnesses may be caused by several different viruses, multiplex assays for simultaneous detection of several viruses are increasingly being applied. Real-time multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for detection of viral nucleic acids offer remarkable benefits, such as short turnaround time and the non-necessity for handling amplified products. Since multiplexing, utilizing real-time PCR, is limited by reduction in amplification efficiency due to multiple primer and probe sets, separate amplification and hybridization reactions have re-emerged in attempts to develop tests with broad diagnostic range. With this approach microarrays, which have the potential for resolving complex mixtures of amplification products, may be applied. In this study, a multiplex reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and liquid hybridization assay for sensitive detection of HEV, HRV, HPeV and AV were developed and a single RT-PCR and liquid hybridization assay for detection of HAV was optimized. In analysis of clinical samples, the results obtained by the multiplex assay were consistent with those obtained by routine diagnostic assays. When 68 stool samples were analysed for the presence of HPeV and AV, one sample positive for HPeV was detected. This finding is in line with the current knowledge of neither of these viruses being very common enteric pathogens. More rapid detection of HEV and HRV in respiratory samples was achieved when a real-time duplex RT-PCR assay for detection of these viruses was developed. The same approach was used to develop another assay for more sensitive detection of RSV than with the direct fluorescent assay (DFA) and simultaneous identification of hMPV. Both multiplex real-time RT-PCR assays provided reliable and sensitive detection of their targets, except for detection of HRV, since doubts were raised on the ability of the assay to detect all rhinoviruses. Moreover, two commercial hMPV antibodies were found applicable for detection of the virus in respiratory samples by DFA. Results from analysis of respiratory samples using the duplex real-time RT-PCR assays were compared with those obtained with DFA and the Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP) Fast test, a bead-based suspension microarray test evaluated for routine diagnosis. The RVP Fast assay and PCR showed similar detection rates, except for HEV/HRV, for which a higher detection rate by RVP was observed. All PCR-based assays presented more findings of their target viruses than DFA. The broad detection range of the RVP Fast assay resulted in a nearly threefold overall detection rate, compared with that by DFA. Moreover, analysis of clinical samples resulted in a notable prevalence of hMPV and non-SARS-hCoVs, which emphasizes the role of these viruses as respiratory pathogens. Although the RVP Fast assay demonstrated adequate overall performance, doubts were raised on the ability of the test to detect the H1N1 2009 influenza A virus and all AdV serotypes. Evaluation of the RVP Fast assay demonstrated the remarkable increase in overall viral detection rate that results from adapting a PCR-based multiplex assay to virus diagnostics. The sensitive detection of all the viruses of clinical relevance facilitates efficient infection control measures and appropriate patient management and enables systematic studies on the clinical importance of coinfections. Moreover, collection of data on occurrence of all the viruses of clinical relevance will enable a better understanding of the seasonality, geographical distribution and risk groups of the viral pathogens.Picornavirusten suku käsittää monia ihmiselle patogeeneja viruksia. Ihmisen enterovirukset (HEV) aiheuttavat lukuisia tautitiloja, kuten poliomyeliittiä, enkefalomyeliittiä, hengitystieinfektioita ja ihottumia. Ihmisen rinovirukset (HRV) ovat yleisin flunssan aiheuttaja. Ihmisen parechovirusta (HPeV) ja Aichi virusta (AV) tavataan lähinnä gastroenteriiteissa ja hepatiitti A virus (HAV) aiheuttaa hyväennusteista hepatiittia. Entero- ja rinovirusten lisäksi suuri joukko viruksia aiheuttaa hengitystieinfektioita. Perinteisiä hengitystieviruksia ovat influenssavirukset, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (AdV), parainfluenssavirukset (PIV) ja ihmisen koronavirukset (hCoV) OC43 ja 229E. Lisäksi 2000-luvulla on löydetty joukko uusia hengitystiepatogeeneja viruksia, kuten ihmisen metapneumovirus (hMPV), severe acute respiratory syndrome -koronavirus (SARS-CoV), ja ihmisen koronavirukset (hCoV) HKU1 ja NL63. Myös ihmisen bokaviruksen (hBoV) rooli todellisena hengitystiepatogeenina on saanut vahvistusta. Koska monet tautitilat voivat olla usean eri viruksen aiheuttamia, on usean viruksen nukleiinihappojen osoittaminen näytteestä samanaikaisesti multiplex testien avulla yleistynyt. Virusten nukleiinihappojen osoittaminen reaaliaikaisilla multiplex polymeraasiketjureaktioon (PCR) perustuvilla testeillä mahdollistaa testitulosten nopean saatavuuden ilman monistustuotteiden käsittelyä. Koska monistustehokkuuden aleneminen käytettäessä useita alukepareja ja koettimia rajoittaa reaaliaikaisen PCR:n käyttöä usean viruksen osoittamiseen, on erillisen monistus- ja hybridisaatioreaktion käyttö uudelleen yleistynyt laajennettaessa testien kattavuutta. Käytettäessä tällaista lähestymistapaa voidaan monistustuotteiden spesifiin osoittamiseen hyödyntää mikrosirutestejä, joilla on suuri kapasiteetti eri monistustuotteiden spesifiin osoittamiseen PCR-reaktioseoksesta. Tässä tutkimuksessa kehitettiin multiplex RT-PCR -monistukseen ja liuoshybridisaatioon perustuva testi HEV, HRV, HPeV ja AV osoittamiseksi. Lisäksi optimoitiin vastaava erillinen testi HAV osoittamiseksi. Ulostenäytteiden analyysissä multiplex RT-PCR testillä löydettiin yksi HPeV-positiivinen näyte. Tulos vastaa hyvin nykykäsitystä, jonka mukaan HPeV ja AV ovat suhteellisen harvinaisia gastroenteriitin aiheuttajia. Tutkimuksessa kehitettiin edelleen reaaliaikainen multiplex RT-PCR -testi, joka mahdollisti entero- ja rinovirusten nopeamman osoittamisen. RSV-osoituksen herkkyyden lisäämiseksi ja hMPV:n samanaikaiseksi osoittamiseksi optimoitiin reaaliaikainen multiplex RT-PCR -testi näiden virusten osoittamiseen. Molemmat reaaliaikaiset RT-PCR -testit olivat luotettavia ja herkkiä kohdevirustensa osoittamisessa, paitsi HRV-osoituksessa, missä heräsi epäilys testin kyvystä osoittaa kaikkia rinoviruksia. Lisäksi kahden kaupallisen hMPV-vasta-aineen todettiin soveltuvan suoraan virusantigeeniosoitukseen hengitystienäytteistä. Hengitystienäytteiden tutkimisesta multiplex RT-PCR testeillä saatuja tuloksia verrattiin virusantigeeniosoituksen tuloksiin ja evaluoitiin RVP Fast liuosmikrosirutesti. Positiivisten löydösten prevalenssi RVP Fast testillä ja reaaliaikaisilla RT-PCR testeillä oli samansuuruinen, paitsi HEV/HRV löydösten määrä, joka oli RVP:lla oli suurempi. Kaikki PCR-perusteiset testit osoittivat virusantigeeniosoitusta enemmän kohdeviruksia. RVP Fast testin suuri kohdevirusten määrä johti lähes kolminkertaiseen detektioprevalenssiin virusantigeeniosoitukseen verrattuna. Potilasnäytteistä merkittävä osa oli positiivisia hMPV:n ja non-SARS-koronavirusten suhteen, mikä korostaa näiden virusten merkitystä hengitystieinfektioiden aiheuttajina. RVP Fast testin toiminta osoittautui yleisesti ottaen luotettavaksi, mutta epäilys heräsi testin kyvystä osoittaa influenssa A viruksen H1N1 (2009) tyyppiä sekä kaikkia adenovirusserotyyppejä. RVP Fast testin evaluaatio osoitti, että PCR-perustaisen multiplex testin käyttöönotto johtaa positiivisten löydösten määrän merkittävään lisääntymiseen virusantigeeniosoitukseen verrattuna. Kaikkien kliinisesti merkittävien virusten osoittaminen mahdollistaa tehokkaan infektiotautien torjunnan ja asianmukaisen hoidon sekä luo puitteet koinfektioiden kliinisen merkityksen systemaattiselle tutkimiselle. Lisäksi kaikkien kliinisesti merkittävien virusten löydösten huomioiminen johtaa parempaan käsitykseen näiden patogeenien kausivaihtelusta, maantieteellisestä esiintyvyydestä ja riskiryhmistä

Advanced receivers for high data rate mobile communications

Improving the spectral efficiency is a key issue in the future wireless communication systems since the spectrum is a scarce resource. Both the number of users as well the demanded data rates are increasing all the time. Furthermore, in mobile communications the wireless link is required to be reliable even when the mobile is in a fast moving vehicle. Using Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antennas is a well known technique to provide higher spectral efficiency as well as better link reliability. Additionally, higher order modulation methods can be used to provide higher data rates. In order to benefit from these enhancements in practise, sophisticated signal processing methods as well as accurate estimates of time-varying wireless channel parameters are needed. This thesis addresses the problem of designing multi-antenna receivers in high data rate systems. The case of multiple transmit antennas is also considered. System specific features of High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) which is part of 3rd generation (3G) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) evolution are exploited in channel estimation methods and in MIMO receiver design. Additionally, complexity reduction methods for Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) equalization are addressed. Blind channel estimation methods are spectrally efficient, since no extra resources are needed for pilot signals. However, in mobile communications accurate estimates are needed also in fast fading channels. Consequently, semi-blind channel estimation methods where the receiver combines blind and pilot based channel estimation are an appealing alternative. In this thesis blind and semi-blind channel estimation methods based on knowledge of multiple spreading codes are derived. A novel semi-blind combining scheme for code multiplexed pilot signal and blind estimation is proposed. Another important factor in receiver design criteria is the structure of interference in the received signals. Interference mitigation techniques in MIMO systems have been shown to be potential methods for providing improved performance. A chip level inter-antenna interference cancellation method has been developed in this thesis for HSDPA. Furthermore, this multi-stage ordered interference canceler is combined with the semi-blind channel estimation scheme to enhance the system performance further.Langattomassa tiedonsiirrossa radiospektrin tehokas käyttö on tulevaisuuden suuria haasteita. Taajuuksia on käytössä vain rajoitetusti, kun taas käyttäjien määrä sekä vaaditut siirtonopeudet kasvavat jatkuvasti. Lisäksi langattomien yhteyksien on toimittava luotettavasti myös nopeasti liikkuvissa kulkuneuvoissa. Moniantennijärjestelmät, joissa on useita antenneita sekä tukiasemissa että päätelaitteissa mahdollistavat radiospektrin tehokkaamman käytön sekä parantavat yhteyksien laatua. Tiedonsiirtonopeutta voidaan myös kasvattaa erilaisilla modulaatiotekniikoilla. Hyötyjen saavutamiseksi käytännössä tarvitaan sekä kehittyneitä vastaanotinrakenteita että tarkkoja estimaatteja aikamuuttuvasta radiokanavasta. Tässä työssä on kehitetty vastaanotinrakenteita ja kanavan estimointimenetelmiä kolmannen sukupolven (3G) nopeiden datayhteyksien (HSPA) järjestelmissä. Työssä on johdettu menetelmiä, jotka hyödyntävät HSPA järjestelmien erikoispiirteitä tehokkaasti. Lisäksi on kehitetty laskennallisesti tehokkaita menetelmiä vastaanottimien signaalinkäsittelyyn. Ns. sokeat menetelmät mahdollistavat taajuuskaistan tehokkaan käytön, koska ne eivät vaadi tunnettuja harjoitussignaaleja. Mobiileissa tietolikennejärjestelmissä radiokanava saattaa kuitenkin muuttua hyvin nopeasti, jonka vuoksi kanavan estimoinnissa on tyypillisesti hyödynnetty tunnettua pilottisignaalia. Yhdistämällä pilottipohjainen ja sokea kanavaestimointimenetelmä, voidaan saavuttaa molempien menetelmien edut. Tässä työssä kehitettiin sokeita kanavaestimointimenetelmiä, jotka hyödyntävät useita tunnettuja hajoituskoodeja. Sokean ja koodijakoiseen pilottisignaaliin pohjautuvien kanavan estimaattien yhdistämiseksi kehitettiin uusi menetelmä. Signaalin laatua ja siten vastaanottimen suorituskykyä voidaan langattomissa järjestelmissä parantaa vaimentamalla interferenssiä eli häiriöitä. Vastaanottimen toimintaa voidaan tehostaa oleellisesti, jos häiriösignaalin rakenne tunnetaan. Käytettäessä useampaa lähetysantennia HSPA järjestelmissä vastaanotetussa signaalissa olevia häiriötä voidaan kumota usealla eri tasolla. Tässä työssä on kehitetty chippitasolla häiriöitä kumoava vastaanotinrakenne, joka hyödyntää HSPA järjestelmän ominaisuuksia. Vastaanottimen suorituskykyä on edelleen parannettu yhdistämällä se aiemmin esitettyyn puolisokeaan kanavan estimointimenetelmään.reviewe

Convergence of packet communications over the evolved mobile networks; signal processing and protocol performance

In this thesis, the convergence of packet communications over the evolved mobile networks is studied. The Long Term Evolution (LTE) process is dominating the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in order to bring technologies to the markets in the spirit of continuous innovation. The global markets of mobile information services are growing towards the Mobile Information Society. The thesis begins with the principles and theories of the multiple-access transmission schemes, transmitter receiver techniques and signal processing algorithms. Next, packet communications and Internet protocols are referred from the IETF standards with the characteristics of mobile communications in the focus. The mobile network architecture and protocols bind together the evolved packet system of Internet communications to the radio access network technologies. Specifics of the traffic models are shortly visited for their statistical meaning in the radio performance analysis. Radio resource management algorithms and protocols, also procedures, are covered addressing their relevance for the system performance. Throughout these Chapters, the commonalities and differentiators of the WCDMA, WCDMA/HSPA and LTE are covered. The main outcome of the thesis is the performance analysis of the LTE technology beginning from the early discoveries to the analysis of various system features and finally converging to an extensive system analysis campaign. The system performance is analysed with the characteristics of voice over the Internet and best effort traffic of the Internet. These traffic classes represent the majority of the mobile traffic in the converged packet networks, and yet they are simple enough for a fair and generic analysis of technologies. The thesis consists of publications and inventions created by the author that proposed several improvements to the 3G technologies towards the LTE. In the system analysis, the LTE showed by the factor of at least 2.5 to 3 times higher system measures compared to the WCDMA/HSPA reference. The WCDMA/HSPA networks are currently available with over 400 million subscribers and showing increasing growth, in the meanwhile the first LTE roll-outs are scheduled to begin in 2010. Sophisticated 3G LTE mobile devices are expected to appear fluently for all consumer segments in the following years

Quality of service optimization of multimedia traffic in mobile networks

Mobile communication systems have continued to evolve beyond the currently deployed Third Generation (3G) systems with the main goal of providing higher capacity. Systems beyond 3G are expected to cater for a wide variety of services such as speech, data, image transmission, video, as well as multimedia services consisting of a combination of these. With the air interface being the bottleneck in mobile networks, recent enhancing technologies such as the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), incorporate major changes to the radio access segment of 3G Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). HSDPA introduces new features such as fast link adaptation mechanisms, fast packet scheduling, and physical layer retransmissions in the base stations, necessitating buffering of data at the air interface which presents a bottleneck to end-to-end communication. Hence, in order to provide end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees to multimedia services in wireless networks such as HSDPA, efficient buffer management schemes are required at the air interface. The main objective of this thesis is to propose and evaluate solutions that will address the QoS optimization of multimedia traffic at the radio link interface of HSDPA systems. In the thesis, a novel queuing system known as the Time-Space Priority (TSP) scheme is proposed for multimedia traffic QoS control. TSP provides customized preferential treatment to the constituent flows in the multimedia traffic to suit their diverse QoS requirements. With TSP queuing, the real-time component of the multimedia traffic, being delay sensitive and loss tolerant, is given transmission priority; while the non-real-time component, being loss sensitive and delay tolerant, enjoys space priority. Hence, based on the TSP queuing paradigm, new buffer managementalgorithms are designed for joint QoS control of the diverse components in a multimedia session of the same HSDPA user. In the thesis, a TSP based buffer management algorithm known as the Enhanced Time Space Priority (E-TSP) is proposed for HSDPA. E-TSP incorporates flow control mechanisms to mitigate congestion in the air interface buffer of a user with multimedia session comprising real-time and non-real-time flows. Thus, E-TSP is designed to provide efficient network and radio resource utilization to improve end-to-end multimedia traffic performance. In order to allow real-time optimization of the QoS control between the real-time and non-real-time flows of the HSDPA multimedia session, another TSP based buffer management algorithm known as the Dynamic Time Space Priority (D-TSP) is proposed. D-TSP incorporates dynamic priority switching between the real-time and non-real-time flows. D-TSP is designed to allow optimum QoS trade-off between the flows whilst still guaranteeing the stringent real-time component’s QoS requirements. The thesis presents results of extensive performance studies undertaken via analytical modelling and dynamic network-level HSDPA simulations demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed TSP queuing system and the TSP based buffer management schemes

Performance Analysis of Cognitive Radio Systems with Imperfect Channel Knowledge

An analytical framework is established to characterize the effects such as time allocation and variation, arising due to the incorporation of imperfect channel knowledge, that are detrimental to the performance of the cognitive radio systems. In order to facilitate hardware deployment of a cognitive radio system, received power-based estimation, a novel channel estimation technique is employed for the channels existing between the primary and the secondary systems, thus fulfilling low-complexity and versatility requirements

The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

Developments in programs managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Office of Telecommunications and Data acquisition are discussed. Space communications, radio antennas, the Deep Space Network, antenna design, Project SETI, seismology, coding, very large scale integration, downlinking, and demodulation are among the topics covered

Final report on the evaluation of RRM/CRRM algorithms

Deliverable public del projecte EVERESTThis deliverable provides a definition and a complete evaluation of the RRM/CRRM algorithms selected in D11 and D15, and evolved and refined on an iterative process. The evaluation will be carried out by means of simulations using the simulators provided at D07, and D14.Preprin

An appraisal of secure, wireless grid-enabled data warehousing

In most research, appropriate collections of data play a significant role in aiding decision-making processes. This is more critical if the data is being accessed across organisational barriers. Further, for the data to be mined and analysed efficiently, to aid decision-making processes, it must be harnessed in a suitably-structured fashion. There is, for example, a need to perform diverse data analyses and interpretation of structured (non-personal) HIV/AIDS patient-data from various quarters in South Africa. Although this data does exist, to some extent, it is autonomously owned and stored in disparate data storages, and not readily available to all interested parties. In order to put this data to meaningful use, it is imperative to integrate and store this data in a manner in which it can be better utilized by all those involved in the ontological field. This implies integration of (and hence, interoperability), and appropriate accessibility to, the information systems of the autonomous organizations providing data and data-processing. This is a typical problem-scenario for a Virtual Inter-Organisational Information System (VIOIS), proposed in this study. The VIOIS envisaged is a hypothetical, secure, Wireless Grid-enabled Data Warehouse (WGDW) that enables IOIS interaction, such as the storage and processing of HIV/AIDS patient-data to be utilized for HIV/AIDS-specific research. The proposed WDGW offers a methodical approach for arriving at such a collaborative (HIV/AIDS research) integrated system. The proposed WDGW is virtual community that consists mainly of data-providers, service-providers and information-consumers. The WGDW-basis resulted from systematic literaturesurvey that covered a variety of technologies and standards that support datastorage, data-management, computation and connectivity between virtual community members in Grid computing contexts. A Grid computing paradigm is proposed for data-storage, data management and computation in the WGDW. Informational or analytical processing will be enabled through data warehousing while connectivity will be attained wirelessly (for addressing the paucity of connectivity infrastructure in rural parts of developing countries, like South Africa)