New techniques for geographic routing

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-148).As wireless sensor networks continue to grow in size, we are faced with the prospect of emerging wireless networks with hundreds or thousands of nodes. Geographic routing algorithms are a promising alternative to tradition ad hoc routing algorithms in this new domain for point-to-point routing, but deployments of such algorithms are currently uncommon because of some practical difficulties. This dissertation explores techniques that address two major issues in the deployment of geographic routing algorithms: (i) the costs associated with distributed planarization and (ii) the unavailability of location information. We present and evaluate two new algorithms for geographic routing: Greedy Distributed Spanning Tree Routing (GDSTR) and Greedy Embedding Spring Coordinates (GSpring). Unlike previous geographic routing algorithms which require the planarization of the network connectivity graph, GDSTR switches to routing on a spanning tree instead of a planar graph when packets end up at dead ends during greedy forwarding. To choose a direction on the tree that is most likely to make progress towards the destination, each GDSTR node maintains a summary of the area covered by the subtree below each of its tree neighbors using convex hulls.(cont.) This distributed data structure is called a hull tree. GDSTR not only requires an order of magnitude less bandwidth to maintain these hull trees than CLDP, the only distributed planarization algorithm that is known to work with practical radio networks, it often achieves better routing performance than previous planarization-based geographic routing algorithms. GSpring is a new virtual coordinate assignment algorithm that derives good coordinates for geographic routing when location information is not available. Starting from a set of initial coordinates for a set of elected perimeter nodes, GSpring uses a modified spring relaxation algorithm to incrementally adjust virtual coordinates to increase the convexity of voids in the virtual routing topology. This reduces the probability that packets will end up in dead ends during greedy forwarding, and improves the routing performance of existing geographic routing algorithms. The coordinates derived by GSpring yield comparable routing performance to that for actual physical coordinates and significantly better performance than that for NoGeo, the best existing algorithm for deriving virtual coordinates for geographic routing. Furthermore, GSpring is the first known algorithm that is able to derive coordinates that achieve better geographic routing performance than actual physical coordinates for networks with obstacles.by Ben Wing Lup Leong.Ph.D

Characterisation of Cryogenic Material Properties of 3D-Printed Superconducting Niobium using a 3D Lumped Element Microwave Cavity

We present an experimental characterisation of the electrical properties of 3D-printed Niobium. The study was performed by inserting a 3D-printed Nb post inside an Aluminium cylindrical cavity, forming a 3D lumped element re-entrant microwave cavity resonator. The resonator was cooled to temperatures below the critical temperature of Niobium (9.25K) and then Aluminium (1.2K), while measuring the quality factors of the electromagnetic resonances. This was then compared with finite element analysis of the cavity and a measurement of the same cavity with an Aluminium post of similar dimensions and frequency, to extract the surface resistance of the Niobium post. The 3D-printed Niobium exhibited a transition to the superconducting state at a similar temperature to the regular Niobium, as well as a surface resistance of $3.1\times10^{-4}$ $\Omega$. This value was comparable to many samples of traditionally machined Niobium previously studied without specialised surface treatment. Furthermore, this study demonstrates a simple new method for characterizing the material properties of a relatively small and geometrically simple sample of superconductor, which could be easily applied to other materials, particularly 3D-printed materials. Further research and development in additive manufacturing may see the application of 3D-printed Niobium in not only superconducting cavity designs, but in the innovative technology of the future.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Model Block Press Design

This project’s goal is to redesign the Center for Vocational Building Technology (CVBT) BP9 earth block press, which makes 1/3 scale compressed earth blocks to build demonstration model homes in Thailand. The full-scale block press, the BP6, provides a sustainable and affordable technique for constructing habitable homes in Thailand. The BP9 serves as a tool to inform the public of the advantages of human-powered earth block presses through demonstration. The BP9 press design has multiple problems: it is too expensive to manufacture, there is too much friction when used, it has several weak points due to users unintentionally applying excessive force, and it cannot make channel or half blocks. Some experienced block press users were interviewed to gather opinions on what improvements and/or changes should be implemented in the new block press design. The main takeaway was that the press’s structural supports should be reinforced or redesigned. This document also includes some other existing full-scale press designs. The main objectives for this project are to eliminate the weak points and to reduce the cost. A full redesign with an entirely different mechanism was decided upon, and this process is detailed in the document, as well as the details of the design itself. The manufacturing and design verification plan, as well as the timeline of this project, are also detailed in the document

Dynamics of RC trees with distributed constant-power loads

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 145).by Ben Wing Lup Leong.M.Eng

Lgr5 and Col22a1 mark progenitor cells in the lineage toward juvenile articular chondrocytes

The synovial joint forms from a pool of progenitor cells in the future region of the joint, the interzone. Expression of Gdf5 and Wnt9a has been used to mark the earliest cellular processes in the formation of the interzone and the progenitor cells. However, lineage specification and progression toward the different tissues of the joint are not well understood. Here, by lineage-tracing studies we identify a population of Lgr5+ interzone cells that contribute to the formation of cruciate ligaments, synovial membrane, and articular chondrocytes of the joint. This finding is supported by single-cell transcriptome analyses. We show that Col22a1, a marker of early articular chondrocytes, is co-expressed with Lgr5+ cells prior to cavitation as an important lineage marker specifying the progression toward articular chondrocytes. Lgr5+ cells contribute to the repair of a joint defect with the re-establishment of a Col22a1-expressing superficial layer

Scholarly Responses to ‘Students’ experiences of Open Distance Learning: A Samoan case study’

Scholarly Responses to ‘Students’ experiences of Open Distance Learning: A Samoan case study

Discrimination of homocysteine, cysteine and glutathione using an aggregation-induced-emission-active hemicyanine dye

Elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcy) in blood are indicative of many high risk cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, development of highly efficient and selective dyes for monitoring Hcy levels has attracted much attention. This paper reports the utilization of TPE-Cy, an aggregation-induced-emission active hemicyanine dye, as a probe for the detection of Hcy. More interestingly, this dye shows high selectivity to Hcy over cysteine, glutathione and other amino acids in weakly basic buffer solution

Be Stars in the Open Cluster NGC 6830

We report the discovery of 2 new Be stars, and re-identify one known Be star in the open cluster NGC 6830. Eleven H-alpha emitters were discovered using the H-alpha imaging photometry of the Palomar Transient Factory Survey. Stellar membership of the candidates was verified with photometric and kinematic information using 2MASS data and proper motions. The spectroscopic confirmation was carried out by using the Shane 3-m telescope at Lick observatory. Based on their spectral types, three H-alpha emitters were confirmed as Be stars with H-alpha equivalent widths > -10 Angstrom. Two objects were also observed by the new spectrograph SED-Machine on the Palomar 60 inch Telescope. The SED-Machine results show strong H-alpha emission lines, which are consistent with the results of the Lick observations. The high efficiency of the SED-Machine can provide rapid observations for Be stars in a comprehensive survey in the future.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, AJ in pres

Towards Efficient Detection of Small Near-Earth Asteroids Using the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF)

We describe ZStreak, a semi-real-time pipeline specialized in detecting small, fast-moving near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) that is currently operating on the data from the newly-commissioned Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) survey. Based on a prototype originally developed by Waszczak et al. (2017) for the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), the predecessor of ZTF, ZStreak features an improved machine-learning model that can cope with the $10\times$ data rate increment between PTF and ZTF. Since its first discovery on 2018 February 5 (2018 CL), ZTF/ZStreak has discovered $45$ confirmed new NEAs over a total of 232 observable nights until 2018 December 31. Most of the discoveries are small NEAs, with diameters less than $\sim100$ m. By analyzing the discovery circumstances, we find that objects having the first to last detection time interval under 2 hr are at risk of being lost. We will further improve real-time follow-up capabilities, and work on suppressing false positives using deep learning.Comment: PASP in pres

A behavioral comparison of male and female adults with high functioning autism spectrum conditions

Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) affect more males than females in the general population. However, within ASC it is unclear if there are phenotypic sex differences. Testing for similarities and differences between the sexes is important not only for clinical assessment but also has implications for theories of typical sex differences and of autism. Using cognitive and behavioral measures, we investigated similarities and differences between the sexes in age- and IQ-matched adults with ASC (high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome). Of the 83 (45 males and 38 females) participants, 62 (33 males and 29 females) met Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) cut-off criteria for autism in childhood and were included in all subsequent analyses. The severity of childhood core autism symptoms did not differ between the sexes. Males and females also did not differ in self-reported empathy, systemizing, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive traits/symptoms or mentalizing performance. However, adult females with ASC showed more lifetime sensory symptoms (p = 0.036), fewer current socio-communication difficulties (p = 0.001), and more self-reported autistic traits (p = 0.012) than males. In addition, females with ASC who also had developmental language delay had lower current performance IQ than those without developmental language delay (p<0.001), a pattern not seen in males. The absence of typical sex differences in empathizing-systemizing profiles within the autism spectrum confirms a prediction from the extreme male brain theory. Behavioral sex differences within ASC may also reflect different developmental mechanisms between males and females with ASC. We discuss the importance of the superficially better socio-communication ability in adult females with ASC in terms of why females with ASC may more often go under-recognized, and receive their diagnosis later, than males