Reduction of electromagnetic exposure using hybrid (DVB-H/UMTS) networks

The hybrid mobile communication network described in this paper consists of a point-to-point network (UMTS) and a point-to-multipoint network (DVB-H). Using an additional DVB-H network increases the downlink capacity of the communications system. Another benefit of combining these two networks is an optimised transfer of data by collecting several user requests for a single response via the broadcast network DVB-H. It is analysed how the hybrid network structure influences the electromagnetic exposure. Therefore, realistic scenarios have been developed consisting of different user behaviour and different network structures. These scenarios provide building data for investigations of indoor coverage and realistic propagation of signals. In order to evaluate the grade of exposure, criteria have been defined. These criteria have been used for comparing a hybrid network with a single UMTS network in terms of electromagnetic exposure. The simulation results of the scenarios are shown for different network structures and network configurations

Deterministic and stochastic channel models implemented in a physical layer simulator for Car-to-X communications

This paper presents a physical (PHY) layer simulator of the IEEE 802.11p standard for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE). This simulator allows the emulation of data transmission via different radio channels as well as the analysis of the resulting system behavior. The PHY layer simulator is part of an integrated simulation platform including a traffic model to generate realistic mobility of vehicles and a 3D ray-optical model to calculate the multipath propagation channel between transmitter and receiver. Besides deterministic channel modeling by means of ray-optical modeling, the simulator can also be used with stochastic channel models of typical vehicular scenarios. With the aid of this PHY layer simulator and the integrated channel models, the resulting performance of the system in terms of bit and packet error rates of different receiver designs can be analyzed in order to achieve a robust data transmission

Impact of Age and Body Site on Adult Female Skin Surface pH

Background: pH is known as an important parameter in epidermal barrier function and homeostasis. Aim: The impact of age and body site on skin surface pH (pH(SS)) of women was evaluated in vivo. Methods: Time domain dual lifetime referencing with luminescent sensor foils was used for pH(SS) measurements. pH(SS) was measured on the forehead, the temple, and the volar forearm of adult females (n = 97, 52.87 +/- 18.58 years, 20-97 years). Every single measurement contained 2,500 pH values due to the luminescence imaging technique used. Results: pH(SS) slightly increases with age on all three investigated body sites. There are no significant differences in pH(SS) between the three investigated body sites. Conclusion: Adult pH(SS) on the forehead, the temple and the volar forearm increases slightly with age. This knowledge is crucial for adapting medical skin care products. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Highly-Sensitive Thin Film THz Detector Based on Edge Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Junction

Terahertz (THz) detectors have been extensively studied for various applications such as security, wireless communication, and medical imaging. In case of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) tunnel junction THz detector, a small junction area is desirable because the detector response time can be shortened by reducing it. An edge metal-semiconductor-metal (EMSM) junction has been developed with a small junction area controlled precisely by the thicknesses of metal and semiconductor films. The voltage response of the EMSM THz detector shows the clear dependence on the polarization angle of incident THz wave and the responsivity is found to be very high (similar to 2,169 V/W) at 0.4 THz without any antenna and signal amplifier. The EMSM junction structure can be a new and efficient way of fabricating the nonlinear device THz detector with high cut-off frequency relying on extremely small junction area

Ignicoccus hospitalis and Nanoarchaeum equitans: ultrastructure, cell–cell interaction, and 3D reconstruction from serial sections of freeze-substituted cells and by electron cryotomography

Ultrastructure and intercellular interaction of Ignicoccus hospitalis and Nanoarchaeum equitans were investigated using two different electron microscopy approaches, by three-dimensional reconstructions from serial sections, and by electron cryotomography. Serial sections were assembled into 3D reconstructions, for visualizing the unusual complexity of I. hospitalis, its huge periplasmic space, the vesiculating cytoplasmic membrane, and the outer membrane. The cytoplasm contains fibres which are reminiscent to a cytoskeleton. Cell division in I. hospitalis is complex, and different to that in Euryarchaeota or Bacteria. An irregular invagination of the cytoplasmic membrane is followed by separation of the two cytoplasms. Simultaneous constriction of cytoplasmic plus outer membrane is not observed. Cells of N. equitans show a classical mode of cell division, by constriction in the mid-plane. Their cytoplasm exhibits two types of fibres, elongated and ring-shaped. Electron micrographs of contact sites between I. hospitalis and N. equitans exhibit two modes of interaction. One is indirect and mediated by thin fibres; in other cells the two cell surfaces are in direct contact. The two membranes of I. hospitalis cells are frequently seen in direct contact, possibly a prerequisite for transporting metabolites or substrates from the cytoplasm of one cell to the other. Rarely, a transport based on cargo vesicles is observed between I. hospitalis and N. equitans

Impact of modulation type and baud rate on a 300 GHz fixed wireless link

This paper presents the transmission of broad-band complex modulated signals with data rates up to 64 Gbit/s using an analog front-end based on monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) at a carrier frequency of 300 GHz. Besides the typical modulation formats like BPSK, QPSK, and 16QAM a non-common modulation format 8APSK is introduced and measured. The maximal transmitted symbol rate is 32 Gbd. The signal quality is evaluated in terms of error vector magnitude, which shows values of -10.8 dB for BPSK and -10.10 dB for QPSK at a symbol rate of 32 Gbd and values of -14.8 dB for 16QAM at a symbol rate of 2 Gbd