Fluid Antenna-aided Full Duplex Communications: A Macroscopic Point-Of-View

The synergy of fluid-based reconfigurable antenna (FA) technology and full-duplex (FD) communications can be jointly beneficial, as FD can enhance the spectral efficiency of a point-to-point link, while the new degree of freedom offered by the FA technology can be exploited to handle the overall interference. Hence, in this paper, an analytical framework based on stochastic geometry is developed, aiming to assess both the outage and average sum-rate performance of large-scale FA-aided FD cellular networks. In contrast to existing studies, where perfect channel state information is assumed, the developed framework accurately captures the impact of channel estimation (CE) on the performance of the considered network deployments, as well as the existence of residual loop-interference (LI) at the FD transceivers. Particularly, we focus on a limited coherence interval scenario, where a novel sequential linear minimum-mean-squared-error-based CE method is performed for all FA ports and LI links, followed by data reception from the port with the strongest estimated channel. By using stochastic geometry tools, analytical expressions for the outage and the average sum-rate performance are derived. Our results reveal that FA-aided FD communications experience an improved average sum-rate performance of around 45\% compared to conventional FD communications.Comment: 32 pages, 8 figure

Flavour compounds in tomato fruits: identification of loci and potential pathways affecting volatile composition

The unique flavour of a tomato fruit is the sum of a complex interaction among sugars, acids, and a large set of volatile compounds. While it is generally acknowledged that the flavour of commercially produced tomatoes is inferior, the biochemical and genetic complexity of the trait has made breeding for improved flavour extremely difficult. The volatiles, in particular, present a major challenge for flavour improvement, being generated from a diverse set of lipid, amino acid, and carotenoid precursors. Very few genes controlling their biosynthesis have been identified. New quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that affect the volatile emissions of red-ripe fruits are described here. A population of introgression lines derived from a cross between the cultivated tomato Solanum lycopersicum and its wild relative, S. habrochaites, was characterized over multiple seasons and locations. A total of 30 QTLs affecting the emission of one or more volatiles were mapped. The data from this mapping project, combined with previously collected data on an IL population derived from a cross between S. lycopersicum and S. pennellii populations, were used to construct a correlational database. A metabolite tree derived from these data provides new insights into the pathways for the synthesis of several of these volatiles. One QTL is a novel locus affecting fruit carotenoid content on chromosome 2. Volatile emissions from this and other lines indicate that the linear and cyclic apocarotenoid volatiles are probably derived from separate carotenoid pools

Oxidation mechanisms occurring in wines

The present review aims to show the state of the art on the oxidation mechanisms occurring in wines, as well as the methods to monitor, classify and diagnose wine oxidation. Wine oxidation can be divided in enzymatic oxidation and non-enzymatic oxidation. Enzymatic oxidation almost entirely occurs in grape must and is largely correlated with the content of hydroxycinnamates, such as caffeoyltartaric acid and para-coumaroyltartaric acid, and flavan-3-ols. Non-enzymatic oxidation, also called chemical oxidation of wine, prevails in fermented wine and begin by the oxidation of polyphenols containing a catechol or a galloyl group. These phenolic. reactions, both enzymatic and non-enzymatic, result in by-products named quinones. However, in non-enzymatic oxidation, oxygen does not react directly with phenolic compounds. The limitation on the reactivity of triplet oxygen is overcome by the stepwise addition of a single electron, which can be provided by reduced transition metal ions, essentially iron(II) and copper(I). The sequential electron transfer leads to the formation of hydroperoxide radical (HOO center dot), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl radical (HO center dot). The later radical will oxidize almost any organic molecule found in wine and will react with the first species it encounters, depending on their concentration. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ascorbic acid, when added to wine, are able to reduce the quinones. Alternative options have been assessed for the prevention of oxidation during wine storage; nevertheless, these are not fully understood or commonly accepted. During aging, aldehydes are important intermediates in the chemical transformations occurring in wines, leading to color and flavor changes. In the same way, a range of off-flavors can be formed from wine oxidation. At low concentrations these flavors may add to the complexity of a wine, but as these increase they begin to detract from wine quality. In addition to the major chemical browning involving wine phenols, the main oxidation reactions occurring during grape juice heating or storage are caramelization and Maillard reaction, which are temperature dependent. Different methods have been proposed in the literature, addressing the complexity and multi-scale related with the oxidation process, to attempt the quantification of antioxidant activity in wines. These methods can be broadly divided in: i) methods based on chemical reactions and ii) methods based on the chemical-physical properties of antioxidants

Sensing free sulfur dioxide in wine

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is important in the winemaking process as it aids in preventing microbial growth and the oxidation of wine. These processes and others consume the SO2 over time, resulting in wines with little SO2 protection. Furthermore, SO2 and sulfiting agents are known to be allergens to many individuals and for that reason their levels need to be monitored and regulated in final wine products. Many of the current techniques for monitoring SO2 in wine require the SO2 to be separated from the wine prior to analysis. This investigation demonstrates a technique capable of measuring free sulfite concentrations in low volume liquid samples in white wine. This approach adapts a known colorimetric reaction to a suspended core optical fiber sensing platform, and exploits the interaction between guided light located within the fiber voids and a mixture of the wine sample and a colorimetric analyte. We have shown that this technique enables measurements to be made without dilution of the wine samples, thus paving the way towards real time in situ wine monitoring.Tanya M. Monro, Rachel L. Moore, Mai-Chi Nguyen, Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem, George K. Skouroumounis, Gordon M. Elsey and Dennis K. Taylo

β-Damascenone precursors in grapes and wines / by George Kyriakos Skouroumounis.

Bibliography: leaves 212-225.vii, 228 leaves ; 30 cm.Covers the synthesis and hydrolysis of dinorisoprenoids and their [beta]-D-glucosides as precursors of [beta]-damascenone in grape juice and wine.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Organic Chemistry, 199

Evolving Conditional Value Sets of Cost Factors for Estimating Software Development Effort

Proceedings - International Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence, ICTAI Volume 1, 2007, Article number 4410279, Pages 165-172The software cost estimation process is one of the most critical managerial activities related to project planning, resource allocation and control. As software development is a highly dynamic procedure, the difficulty of providing accurate cost estimations tends to increase with development complexity. The inherent problems of the estimation process stem from its dependence on several complex variables, whose values are often imprecise, unknown, or incomplete, and their interrelationships are not easy to comprehend. Current software cost estimation models do not inspire enough confidence and accuracy with their predictions. This is mainly due to the models' sensitivity to project data values, and this problem is amplified because of the vast variances found in historical project attribute data. This paper aspires to provide a framework for evolving value ranges for cost attributes and attaining mean effort values using the AI-oriented problem-solving approach of genetic algorithms, with a twofold aim. Firstly, to provide effort estimations by analogy to the projects classified in the evolved ranges and secondly, to identify any present correlations between effort and cost attributes. © 2007 IEEE

Quantitative determination of free and hydrolytically liberated beta-damascenone in red grapes and wines using a stable isotope dilution assay

International audienc

Development of a Three-Dimensional Surface Alignment using KINECT Sensor

112 σ.Σκοπός της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η παρουσίαση μιας μεθόδου αυτόματης ευθυγράμμισης τρισδιάστατων ιατρικών δεδομένων. Η διαδικασία της ευθυγράμμισης έχει ως στόχο την διόρθωση των σχετικών μετατοπίσεων στο χώρο έτσι ώστε στα ευθυγραμμισμένα δεδομένα οι ίδιες ανατομικές περιοχές να συμπίπτουν χωρικά. Η παρούσα μέθοδος μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για την ευθυγράμμιση τρισδιάστατων δεδομένων τα οποία λαμβάνονται από τον αισθητήρα KINECT. Μια τέτοια ευθυγράμμιση μπορεί να εφαρμοστεί και στον τομέα της ιατρικής. Στην ακτινοθεραπεία, πριν από την κάθε θεραπεία, ο ασθενής θα πρέπει να ευθυγραμμιστεί με την τομογραφία δεδομένων (CT). Για την ευθυγράμμιση αυτή χρειάζεται ένα σύστημα επαλήθευσης του προσανατολισμού του ασθενή για τον ακριβή προσδιορισμό του ασθενή και την προσαρμογή του θεραπευτικού κρεβατιού για την βελτιστοποίηση τη θεραπείας. Το παρόν σύστημα υλοποίησης αυτής της διαδικασίας απαιτεί χειροκίνητη μετακίνηση του θεραπευτικού κρεβατιού με χρήση laser και προσδιορισμός ορόσημων σημείων στο δέρμα του ασθενή. Η ανάγκη για ευθυγράμμιση προκύπτει από την χωρική μετατόπιση μεταξύ των εικόνων καθώς και στην ανάπτυξη ανωμαλιών που προκαλούν παραμορφώσεις (π.χ. κύστες, όγκοι) Η παρούσα διπλωματική προτείνει μια μέθοδο χωρίς καθορισμό ορόσημων σημείων και είναι πλήρως αυτοματοποιημένη για την εύρεση της μετακίνηση του θεραπευτικού κρεβατιού. Για την εύρεση του πίνακα μετασχηματισμού, εισάγεται στον αλγόριθμο η παρούσα θέση και μια θέση αναφοράς και με βάση των ζευγαριών σημείων στις εικόνες που προκύπτουν από τα διάφορα βήματα του αλγορίθμου, υπολογίζονται απευθείας οι παράμετροι του μετασχηματισμού με προσέγγιση ελαχίστων τετραγώνων. Εγγενώς, οι μέθοδοι ευθυγράμμισης οι οποίες βασίζονται στα σημεία (point-based), είναι ικανές για ευθυγράμμιση δεδομένων με ακαθόριστες αρχικές συνθήκες των επιφανειών και με μερική ταύτιση αυτών.The purpose of this thesis is to present a method of automatic alignment of three-dimensional medical data. The alignment process is aimed at correcting for relative displacements in space so that the data is aligned and same anatomical regions match spatially. This method can be used to align the three dimensional data obtained from the KINECT sensor. Such an alignment technique can be applied in medicine. In radiotherapy, prior to each treatment, the patient should be aligned with the tomography data (CT). This alignment requires a system for verifying the orientation of the patient to accurately identify the patient and adapting the treatment bed to optimize the treatment. In practice, this process requires manual movement of the therapeutic bed using a laser source for scanning fixed landmark points on the skin of the patient. Alignment is required due to the positional displacement between images and also due to the development of irregularities that cause deformations (e.g. cysts, tumors). This thesis proposes a fully automated method for determining the movement of the therapeutic bed, which does not required manual definition of landmark points. The requested transformation matrix is estimated from several point correspondences formed by aligning the points of the examined bed position with respect to a predetermined reference position. A least-squares approximation approach is used for matching the resulting point correspondences.. Inherently, alignment methods based on points (point-based),are able to align data with arbitrary initial conditions of surfaces or partially overlapping surfaces.Χριστόδουλος Α. Σκουρουμούνη