Optimisation of transmission bandwidth for indoor cellular OWC system using a dynamic handover decision-making algorithm

In this paper, we propose a novel cellular optical wireless communications (COWC) system with four diffused cells. A dynamic handover scheme is proposed to make the link more flexible by the way of adaptive channel allocation in different environments. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm offers almost five times of the maximum dynamic transmission bandwidth and energy efficiency compared to the worst scenarios when all base stations (BS)s are active

Anonymous and Adaptively Secure Revocable IBE with Constant Size Public Parameters

In Identity-Based Encryption (IBE) systems, key revocation is non-trivial. This is because a user's identity is itself a public key. Moreover, the private key corresponding to the identity needs to be obtained from a trusted key authority through an authenticated and secrecy protected channel. So far, there exist only a very small number of revocable IBE (RIBE) schemes that support non-interactive key revocation, in the sense that the user is not required to interact with the key authority or some kind of trusted hardware to renew her private key without changing her public key (or identity). These schemes are either proven to be only selectively secure or have public parameters which grow linearly in a given security parameter. In this paper, we present two constructions of non-interactive RIBE that satisfy all the following three attractive properties: (i) proven to be adaptively secure under the Symmetric External Diffie-Hellman (SXDH) and the Decisional Linear (DLIN) assumptions; (ii) have constant-size public parameters; and (iii) preserve the anonymity of ciphertexts---a property that has not yet been achieved in all the current schemes

Supervised machine learning based multi-task artificial intelligence classification of retinopathies

Artificial intelligence (AI) classification holds promise as a novel and affordable screening tool for clinical management of ocular diseases. Rural and underserved areas, which suffer from lack of access to experienced ophthalmologists may particularly benefit from this technology. Quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) imaging provides excellent capability to identify subtle vascular distortions, which are useful for classifying retinovascular diseases. However, application of AI for differentiation and classification of multiple eye diseases is not yet established. In this study, we demonstrate supervised machine learning based multi-task OCTA classification. We sought 1) to differentiate normal from diseased ocular conditions, 2) to differentiate different ocular disease conditions from each other, and 3) to stage the severity of each ocular condition. Quantitative OCTA features, including blood vessel tortuosity (BVT), blood vascular caliber (BVC), vessel perimeter index (VPI), blood vessel density (BVD), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area (FAZ-A), and FAZ contour irregularity (FAZ-CI) were fully automatically extracted from the OCTA images. A stepwise backward elimination approach was employed to identify sensitive OCTA features and optimal-feature-combinations for the multi-task classification. For proof-of-concept demonstration, diabetic retinopathy (DR) and sickle cell retinopathy (SCR) were used to validate the supervised machine leaning classifier. The presented AI classification methodology is applicable and can be readily extended to other ocular diseases, holding promise to enable a mass-screening platform for clinical deployment and telemedicine.Comment: Supplemental material attached at the en

Integration of organisational aspects into learning from experience : illustration with a case study

International audienceIn a recent study on learning from experience, INERIS acknowledged the organisational dimensions of major hazard accidents. The aim of this paper is to introduce the approach advocated in order to take into account the organisational aspects of accidents. This approach is based on a review of the literature on the organisational side of major accidents as well as on accident investigation methods. Among the methods, the Accimap (J. Rasmussen, I. Svedung, 2000) was chosen to illustrate the global dimension of accident, and a method (MORT for management oversight and risk tree, Johnson, 1980) has been chosen as a tool to be developed at INERIS, with the collaboration of the Noordwijk Risk Initiative Foundation. This method integrates a normative organisational model and an approach to the accident investigation process, based on the principle of barriers. These two methods, though not completely compatible, have shown to be relevant for serving different objectives of INERIS

Development of a viable concrete printing process

A novel Concrete Printing process has been developed, inspired and informed by advances in 3D printing, which has the potential to produce highly customised building components. Whilst still in their infancy, these technologies could create a new era of architecture that is better adapted to the environment and integrated with engineering function. This paper describes the development of a viable concrete printing process with a practical example in designing and manufacturing a concrete component (called Wonder Bench) that includes service voids and reinforcement. The challenges met and those still to be overcome particularly in the evaluation of the manufacturing tolerances of prints are also discussed

A ferrofluid-based homogeneous assay for highly sensitive and selective detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms

10.1039/C3CC43281EChemical Communications49738114-811

Land Enhancement and Intensification Benefits of Investing in an Urban Rail Network

Authorities around the world are looking for new approaches to justify the implementation of capital intensive transport infrastructure such as urban rail solutions. Traditionally, the benefits of an urban rail line include conventional user benefits such as savings in travel time, vehicle operating costs, accident costs and environmental costs, and more recently wider economic benefits. An alternative approach that is sometimes used is to consider the appreciation of property prices along a rail corridor, and the intensification of land development surrounding a rail station. Using the development of new rail lines in Singapore as a case study, this paper will first apply the hedonic regression method to obtain estimates of elasticity between property price and transport accessibility. Secondly, using historical land use masterplans, the paper will discuss how the density of land use adjacent to rail stations has intensified over the past 15 years, through a comparative analysis of the land use density with respect to the distance to a rail station. Finally, with the North East Line as an example, the alternative approach comprising the land value enhancement of existing properties and the land intensification due to proximity to the line will be compared against the conventional user benefits.Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Faculty of Economics and Business. The University of Sydne

Temporal evolution of magnetic molecular shocks II. Analytics of the steady state and semi-analytical construction of intermediate ages

In the first paper of this series (Paper I) we computed time dependent simulations of multifluid shocks with chemistry and a transverse magnetic field frozen in the ions, using an adaptive moving grid. In this paper, we present new analytical results on steady-state molecular shocks. Relationships between density and pressure in the neutral fluid are derived for the cold magnetic precursor, hot magnetic precursor, adiabatic shock front, and the following cooling layer. The compression ratio and temperature behind a fully dissociative adiabatic shock is also derived. To prove that these results may even hold for intermediate ages, we design a test to locally characterise the validity of the steady state equations in a time-dependent shock simulation. Applying this tool to the results of Paper I, we show that most of these shocks (all the stable ones) are indeed in a quasi-steady state at all times, i.e. : a given snapshot is composed of one or more truncated steady shock. Finally, we use this property to produce a construction method of any intermediate time of low velocity shocks (u < 20 km/s) with only a steady-state code. In particular, this method allows one to predict the occurrence of steady CJ-type shocks more accurately than previously proposed criteria.Comment: A&A in pres

Role of the Netrin-like Domain of Procollagen C-Proteinase Enhancer-1 in the Control of Metalloproteinase Activity

The netrin-like (NTR) domain is a feature of several extracellular proteins, most notably the N-terminal domain of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), where it functions as a strong inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases and some other members of the metzincin superfamily. The presence of a C-terminal NTR domain in procollagen C-proteinase enhancers (PCPEs), proteins that stimulate the activity of astacin-like tolloid proteinases, raises the possibility that this might also have inhibitory activity. Here we show that both long and short forms of the PCPE-1 NTR domain, the latter beginning at the N-terminal cysteine known to be critical for TIMP activity, show no inhibition, at micromolar concentrations, of several members of the metzincin superfamily, including matrix metalloproteinase-2, bone morphogenetic protein-1 (a tolloid proteinase), and different ADAMTS (a disintegrin and a metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) proteinases from the adamalysin family. In contrast, we report that the NTR domain within PCPE-1 leads to superstimulation of bone morphogenetic protein-1 activity in the presence of heparin and heparan sulfate. These observations point to a new mechanism whereby binding to cell surface-associated or extracellular heparin-like sulfated glycosaminoglycans might provide a means to accelerate procollagen processing in specific cellular and extracellular microenvironments