Multi-User Visible Light Communication Broadcast Channels With Zero-Forcing Precoding

This paper studies zero-forcing (ZF) precoding designs for multi-user multiple-input single-output visible light communication (VLC) broadcast channels. In such broadcast systems, the main challenging issue arises from the presence of multi-user interference (MUI) among non-coordinated users. In order to completely suppress the MUI, ZF precoding, which is originally designed for radio frequency (RF) communications, is adopted. Different from RF counterpart, VLC signal is inherently non-negative and has a limited linear range, which leads to an amplitude constraint on the input data signal. Unlike the average power constraint, obtaining the exact capacity for an amplitude-constrained channel is more cumbersome. In this paper, we first investigate lower and upper bounds on the capacity of an amplitude-constrained Gaussian channel, which are especially tight in the high signal-to-noise regime. Based on the derived bounds, optimal beamformer designs for the max-min fairness sum-rate and the maximum sum-rate problems are formulated as convex optimization problems, which then can be efficiently solved by using standard optimization packages

Using Term Position Similarity and Language Modeling for Bilingual Document Alignment

The WMT Bilingual Document Alignment Task requires systems to assign source pages to their “translations”, in a big space of possible pairs. We present four methods: The first one uses the term position similarity between candidate document pairs. The second method requires automatically translated versions of the target text, and matches them with the candidates. The third and fourth methods try to overcome some of the challenges presented by the nature of the corpus, by considering the string similarity of source URL and candidate URL, and combining the first two approaches

An Application of Modified T2FHC Algorithm in Two-Link Robot Controller

Parallel robotic systems have shown their advantages over the traditional serial robots such as high payload capacity, high speed, and high precision. Their applications are widespread from transportation to manufacturing fields. Therefore, most of the recent studies in parallel robots focus on finding the best method to improve the system accuracy. Enhancing this metric, however, is still the biggest challenge in controlling a parallel robot owing to the complex mathematical model of the system. In this paper, we present a novel solution to this problem with a Type 2 Fuzzy Coherent Controller Network (T2FHC), which is composed of a Type 2 Cerebellar Model Coupling Controller (CMAC) with its fast convergence ability and a Brain Emotional Learning Controller (BELC) using the Lyaponov-based weight updating rule. In addition, the T2FHC is combined with a surface generator to increase the system flexibility. To evaluate its applicability in real life, the proposed controller was tested on a Quanser 2-DOF robot system in three case studies: no load, 180 g load and 360 g load, respectively. The results showed that the proposed structure achieved superior performance compared to those of available algorithms such as CMAC and Novel Self-Organizing Fuzzy CMAC (NSOF CMAC). The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) index of the system that was 2.20E-06 for angle A and 2.26E-06 for angle B and the tracking error that was -6.42E-04 for angle A and 2.27E-04 for angle B demonstrate the good stability and high accuracy of the proposed T2FHC. With this outstanding achievement, the proposed method is promising to be applied to many applications using nonlinear systems

Using Flashcard-Based Techniques to Improve Students’ Vocabulary Retention

The study aims to investigate how flashcard-based techniques are used to improve students’ vocabulary retention as well as the students’ perceptions and attitudes toward using flashcard-based techniques to improve vocabulary retention and the difficulties they faced during their learning process. The four-week study involved 18 students from an entire class at a language center. The data from vocabulary tests, questionnaires, student self-evaluation checklists, and students’ reflections were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The test results and student reflections demonstrate that flashcard-based techniques contributed significantly to the students’ vocabulary recall. The findings of the survey, together with student self-evaluation checklists and their comments, reveal that these students had favourable perceptions and positive attitudes toward their vocabulary retention as a result of the teacher’s use of flashcard-based techniques. A variety of challenges during the learning process faced by the participants also offer meaningful suggestions for both the learners and teachers to effectively facilitate the former’s vocabulary retention

Justicia social en Vietnam: Perspectiva y práctica

El tema de la justicia social es un tema fundamental de cada época y tiene un gran significado de actualidad porque se plantea junto a la existencia humana, asociada a los sueños y aspiraciones hacia una vida bonita y feliz. Después de todo, el objetivo del crecimiento económico es servir a las personas, el sujeto del desarrollo, de manera justa y progresiva. Porque "los humanos, al dominar en última instancia su existencia social, también están dominando la naturaleza, dominándose a sí mismos y convirtiéndose en hombres libres" (Marx & Engels, 1995, p. 333). Se confirma además en el Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano de las Naciones Unidas (1995) cuando dice: “¿qué significa desarrollo sin tener en cuenta la vida humana?”. Después de todo, el propósito del desarrollo económico es sólo un medio para servir al desarrollo humano. Son las personas las que crean las condiciones, aprovechan las oportunidades y las convierten en una fuerza impulsora para alcanzar sus objetivos de desarrollo, lo que a su vez promoverá el desarrollo socioeconómico. En el proceso de integración internacional, Vietnam ha implementado activamente políticas para lograr la justicia social y ha logrado ciertos resultados, contribuyendo a mejorar el nivel de vida de todas las personas. Hay ciertas limitaciones que deben abordarse para lograr la justicia social en toda la vida social. El artículo analiza los puntos de vista y las prácticas de implementación de la justicia social en Vietnam, proponiendo así soluciones para implementar efectivamente la justicia social en Vietnam hoy

Updated molecular phylogenetic data for Opisthorchis spp. (Trematoda: Opisthorchioidea) from ducks in Vietnam

Background: An opisthorchiid liver fluke was recently reported from ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) in Binh Dinh Province of Central Vietnam, and referred to as "Opisthorchis viverrini-like". This species uses common cyprinoid fishes as second intermediate hosts as does Opisthorchis viverrini, with which it is sympatric in this province. In this study, we refer to the liver fluke from ducks as "Opisthorchis sp. BD2013", and provide new sequence data from the mitochondrial (mt) genome and the nuclear ribosomal transcription unit. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted to clarify the basal taxonomic position of this species from ducks within the genus Opisthorchis (Digenea: Opisthorchiidae). Methods: Adults and eggs of liver flukes were collected from ducks, metacercariae from fishes (Puntius brevis, Rasbora aurotaenia, Esomus metallicus) and cercariae from snails (Bithynia funiculata) in different localities in Binh Dinh Province. From four developmental life stage samples (adults, eggs, metacercariae and cercariae), the complete cytochrome b (cob), nicotinamide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) genes, and near-complete 18S and partial 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences were obtained by PCR-coupled sequencing. The alignments of nucleotide sequences of concatenated cob + nad1 + cox1, and of concatenated 18S + 28S were separately subjected to phylogenetic analyses. Homologous sequences from other trematode species were included in each alignment. Results: Phylogenetic trees were inferred from concatenated (cob + nad1 + cox1) nucleotide sequences and combined 18S + 28S nucleotide sequences of five Opisthorchis sp. BD2013 samples and additional reference taxa. Both trees demonstrated the anticipated clustering of taxa within the superfamily Opisthorchioidea, the paraphyly of the genus Opisthorchis and the sister-species relationship of Opisthorchis sp. BD2013 with O. viverrini. Conclusions: While it is likely that Opisthorchis sp. BD2013 is distinct from O. viverrini, it is clearly a sister taxon of O. viverrini within the limited number of Opisthorchis species for which appropriate sequence data are available. The new sequences provided here will assist the diagnosis and the taxonomic clarification of the opisthorchiid species

Ensuring the Semantic Correctness of Workflow Processes: An Ontological Approach

International audienceWorkflow verification has been known as an important as-pect of workflow management systems. Many existing approaches con-centrate on ensuring the correctness of workflow processes at the syntac-tic level. However, these approaches are not sufficient to detect errors at the semantic level. This paper contributes to ensure the semantic cor-rectness of workflow processes. First, we propose a formal definition of semantic constraints and an O(n 3)-time algorithm for detecting redun-dant and conflicting constraints. Second, by relying on the CPN Ontology (a representation of Coloured Petri Nets with OWL DL ontology) and sets of semantic constraints, workflow processes are semantically created. And third, we show how to check the semantic correctness of workflow processes with the SPARQL query language