Unified bit-based probabilistic data association aided MIMO detection for high-order QAM constellations

A unified Bit-based Probabilistic Data Association (B-PDA) detection approach is proposed for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems employing high-order rectangular Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). The new approach transforms the symbol detection process of QAM to a bit-based process by introducing a Unified Matrix Representation (UMR) of QAM. Both linear natural and nonlinear binary reflected Gray bit-to-symbol mappings are considered. With the aid of simulation results, we demonstrate that the linear natural mapping based B-PDA approach typically attained an improved detection performance (measured in terms of both Bit Error Ratio (BER) and Symbol Error Ratio (SER)) in comparison to the conventional symbol-based PDA aided MIMO detector, despite its dramatically reduced computational complexity. The only exception is that at low SNRs, the linear natural mapping based B-PDA is slightly inferior in terms of its BER to the conventional symbol-based PDA using binary reflected Gray mapping. Furthermore, the simulation results show that the linear natural mapping based B-PDA MIMO detector may approach the best-case performance provided by the nonlinear binary reflected Gray mapping based B-PDA MIMO detector under ideal conditions. Additionally, the implementation of the B-PDA MIMO detector is shown to be much simpler in the case of the linear natural mapping. Based on these two points, we conclude that in the context of the uncoded B-PDA MIMO detector it is preferable to use the linear natural bit-to-symbol mapping, rather than the nonlinear Gray mapping

Distributed probabilistic-data-association-based soft reception employing base station cooperation in MIMO-aided multiuser multicell systems

Intercell cochannel interference (CCI) mitigation is investigated in the context of cellular systems relying on dense frequency reuse (FR). A distributed base-station (BS)-cooperation-aided soft reception scheme using the probabilistic data association (PDA) algorithm and soft combining (SC) is proposed for the uplink of multiuser multicell MIMO systems. The realistic 19-cell hexagonal cellular model relying on unity FR is considered, where both the BSs and the mobile stations (MSs) are equipped with multiple antennas. Local-cooperation-based message passing is used, instead of a global message passing chain for the sake of reducing the backhaul traffic. The PDA algorithm is employed as a low-complexity solution for producing soft information, which facilitates the employment of SC at the individual BSs to generate the final soft decision metric. Our simulations and analysis demonstrate that, despite its low additional complexity and backhaul traffic, the proposed distributed PDA-aided SC (DPDA-SC) reception scheme significantly outperforms the conventional noncooperative benchmarkers. Furthermore, since only the index of the possible discrete value of the quantized converged soft information has to be exchanged for SC in practice, the proposed DPDA-SC scheme is relatively robust to the quantization errors of the soft information exchanged. As a beneficial result, the backhaul traffic is dramatically reduced at negligible performance degradation

From nominal to true a posteriori probabilities: an exact Bayesian theorem based probabilistic data association approach for iterative MIMO detection and decoding

It was conventionally regarded that the existing probabilistic data association (PDA) algorithms output the estimated symbol-wise a posteriori probabilities (APPs) as soft information. In this paper, however, we demonstrate that these probabilities are not the true APPs in the rigorous mathematicasense, but a type of nominal APPs, which are unsuitable for the classic architecture of iterative detection and decoding (IDD) aided receivers. To circumvent this predicament, we propose an exact Bayesian theorem based logarithmic domain PDA (EB-Log-PDA) method, whose output has similar characteristics to the true APPs, and hence it is readily applicable to the classic IDD architecture of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems using the general M-ary modulation. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of the PDA algorithms' inner iteration on the design of PDA-aided IDD receivers. We demonstrate that introducing inner iterations into PDAs, which is common practice in PDA-aided uncoded MIMO systems, would actually degrade the IDD receiver's performance, despite significantly increasing the overall computational complexity of the IDD receiver. Finally, we investigate the relationship between the extrinsic log-likelihood ratio (LLRs) of the proposed EB-Log-PDA and of the approximate Bayesian theorem based logarithmic domain PDA (AB-Log-PDA) reported in our previous work. We also show that the IDD scheme employing the EB-Log-PDA without incorporating any inner PDA iterations has an achievable performance close to that of the optimal maximum a posteriori (MAP) detector based IDD receiver, while imposing a significantly lower computational complexity in the scenarios considered

Nuclear modification factor in intermediate-energy heavy-ion collisions

The transverse momentum dependent nuclear modification factors (NMF), namely $R_{CP}$, is investigated for protons produced in Au + Au at 1$A$ GeV within the framework of the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics (IQMD) model. It is found that the radial collective motion during the expansion stage affects the NMF at low transverse momentum a lot. By fitting the transverse mass spectra of protons with the distribution function from the Blast-Wave model, the magnitude of radial flow can be extracted. After removing the contribution from radial flow, the $R_{CP}$ can be regarded as a thermal one and is found to keep unitary at transverse momentum lower than 0.6 GeV/c and enhance at higher transverse momentum, which can be attributed to Cronin effect.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures; aceepted by Physics Letters

3D printing of cement composites

The aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility of generating 3D structures directly in rapid-hardening Portland cement (RHPC) using 3D Printing (3DP) technology. 3DP is a Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) process that generates parts directly from CAD in a layer-wise manner. 3D structures were successfully printed using a polyvinylalcohol: RHPC ratio of 3:97 w/w, with print resolutions of better than 1mm. The test components demonstrated the manufacture of features, including off-axis holes, overhangs / undercuts etc that would not be manufacturable using simple mould tools. Samples hardened by 1 day post-build immersion in water at RT offered Modulus of Rupture (MOR) values of up to 0.8±0.1MPa, and, after 26 days immersion in water at RT, offered MOR values of 2.2±0.2MPa, similar to bassanite-based materials more typically used in 3DP (1-3 MPa). Post-curing by water immersion restructured the structure, removing the layering typical of ALM processes, and infilling porosity

Evaporation-triggered microdroplet nucleation and the four life phases of an evaporating Ouzo drop

Evaporating liquid droplets are omnipresent in nature and technology, such as in inkjet printing, coating, deposition of materials, medical diagnostics, agriculture, food industry, cosmetics, or spills of liquids. While the evaporation of pure liquids, liquids with dispersed particles, or even liquid mixtures has intensively been studied over the last two decades, the evaporation of ternary mixtures of liquids with different volatilities and mutual solubilities has not yet been explored. Here we show that the evaporation of such ternary mixtures can trigger a phase transition and the nucleation of microdroplets of one of the components of the mixture. As model system we pick a sessile Ouzo droplet (as known from daily life - a transparent mixture of water, ethanol, and anise oil) and reveal and theoretically explain its four life phases: In phase I, the spherical cap-shaped droplet remains transparent, while the more volatile ethanol is evaporating, preferentially at the rim of the drop due to the singularity there. This leads to a local ethanol concentration reduction and correspondingly to oil droplet nucleation there. This is the beginning of phase II, in which oil microdroplets quickly nucleate in the whole drop, leading to its milky color which typifies the so-called 'Ouzo-effect'. Once all ethanol has evaporated, the drop, which now has a characteristic non-spherical-cap shape, has become clear again, with a water drop sitting on an oil-ring (phase III), finalizing the phase inversion. Finally, in phase IV, also all water has evaporated, leaving behind a tiny spherical cap-shaped oil drop.Comment: 40 pages, 12 figure

Evaporating pure, binary and ternary droplets: thermal effects and axial symmetry breaking

The Greek aperitif Ouzo is not only famous for its specific anise-flavored taste, but also for its ability to turn from a transparent miscible liquid to a milky-white colored emulsion when water is added. Recently, it has been shown that this so-called Ouzo effect, i.e. the spontaneous emulsification of oil microdroplets, can also be triggered by the preferential evaporation of ethanol in an evaporating sessile Ouzo drop, leading to an amazingly rich drying process with multiple phase transitions [H. Tan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 113(31) (2016) 8642]. Due to the enhanced evaporation near the contact line, the nucleation of oil droplets starts at the rim which results in an oil ring encircling the drop. Furthermore, the oil droplets are advected through the Ouzo drop by a fast solutal Marangoni flow. In this article, we investigate the evaporation of mixture droplets in more detail, by successively increasing the mixture complexity from pure water over a binary water-ethanol mixture to the ternary Ouzo mixture (water, ethanol and anise oil). In particular, axisymmetric and full three-dimensional finite element method simulations have been performed on these droplets to discuss thermal effects and the complicated flow in the droplet driven by an interplay of preferential evaporation, evaporative cooling and solutal and thermal Marangoni flow. By using image analysis techniques and micro-PIV measurements, we are able to compare the numerically predicted volume evolutions and velocity fields with experimental data. The Ouzo droplet is furthermore investigated by confocal microscopy. It is shown that the oil ring predominantly emerges due to coalescence

Application of high-resolution melting for variant scanning in chloroplast gene atpB and atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer region of Crucifer species

High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis is a rapid and sensitive method for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. In this study, a novel HRM assay was carried out to detect SNPs in the chloroplast gene atpB which encodes the beta subunit of the ATP synthase and atpB upstream intergenic region. The polymorphisms of the two fragments in intertribal samples from the Cruciferae family and within the species of Brassica napus were detected. Based on this results, we found that HRM were able to determine over 90% of the variants which included single or multiple variants and insertion-deletion polymorphisms (INDELs) and rendered possible genotyping of more closely spaced polymorphisms, although there were several false positives (FPs) and misclassification. Six haplotypes were identified in the intertribal materials. The analysis of 90 B. napus found five variation types and the variations were all located in the intergenic region. In conclusion, HRM analysis is a closed tube assay that is easy to perform and is a more effective approach to identify variant of chloroplast genes. This study will facilitate further functional investigations into the role of chloroplast genes in photosynthesis, phylogeny and molecular evolution.Key words: atpB gene, chloroplast genome, crucifer, high-resolution melt curve analysis, SNP, INDEL