413 research outputs found
Sphere packing bounds in the Grassmann and Stiefel manifolds
Applying the Riemann geometric machinery of volume estimates in terms of
curvature, bounds for the minimal distance of packings/codes in the Grassmann
and Stiefel manifolds will be derived and analyzed. In the context of
space-time block codes this leads to a monotonically increasing minimal
distance lower bound as a function of the block length. This advocates large
block lengths for the code design.Comment: Replaced with final version, 11 page
Space Frequency Codes from Spherical Codes
A new design method for high rate, fully diverse ('spherical') space
frequency codes for MIMO-OFDM systems is proposed, which works for arbitrary
numbers of antennas and subcarriers. The construction exploits a differential
geometric connection between spherical codes and space time codes. The former
are well studied e.g. in the context of optimal sequence design in CDMA
systems, while the latter serve as basic building blocks for space frequency
codes. In addition a decoding algorithm with moderate complexity is presented.
This is achieved by a lattice based construction of spherical codes, which
permits lattice decoding algorithms and thus offers a substantial reduction of
complexity.Comment: 5 pages. Final version for the 2005 IEEE International Symposium on
Information Theor
Geometrical relations between space time block code designs and complexity reduction
In this work, the geometric relation between space time block code design for
the coherent channel and its non-coherent counterpart is exploited to get an
analogue of the information theoretic inequality in
terms of diversity. It provides a lower bound on the performance of
non-coherent codes when used in coherent scenarios. This leads in turn to a
code design decomposition result splitting coherent code design into two
complexity reduced sub tasks. Moreover a geometrical criterion for high
performance space time code design is derived.Comment: final version, 11 pages, two-colum
Local Prescribed Mean Curvature foliations in cosmological spacetimes
A theorem about local in time existence of spacelike foliations with
prescribed mean curvature in cosmological spacetimes will be proved. The time
function of the foliation is geometrically defined and fixes the diffeomorphism
invariance inherent in general foliations of spacetimes. Moreover, in contrast
to the situation of the more special constant mean curvature foliations, which
play an important role in the global analysis of spacetimes, this theorem
overcomes the existence problem arising from topological restrictions for
surfaces of constant mean curvature.Comment: 23 pages, no figure
Differential Release of Exocytosis Marker Dyes Indicates Stimulation-Dependent Regulation of Synaptic Activity
There is a general consensus that synaptic vesicular release by a full collapse process is the primary machinery of synaptic transmission. However, competing view suggests that synaptic vesicular release operates via a kiss-and-run mechanism. By monitoring the release dynamics of a synaptic vesicular marker, FM1-43 from individual synapses in hippocampal neurons, we found evidence that the release of synaptic vesicle was delayed by several seconds after the start of field stimulation. This phenomenon was associated with modified opening kinetics of fusion pores. Detailed analysis revealed that some synapses were completely inactive for a few seconds after stimulation, despite immediate calcium influx. This delay in vesicular release was modulated by various stimulation protocols and different frequencies, indicating an activity-dependent regulation mechanism for neurotransmitter exocytosis. Staurosporine, a drug known to induce âkiss-and-runâ exocytosis, increased the proportion of delayed synapses as well as the delay duration, while fluoxetine acted contrarily. Besides being a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, it directly enhanced vesicle mobilization and reduced synaptic fatigue. Exocytosis was never delayed, when it was monitored with pH-sensitive probes, synaptopHlourin and αSyt-CypHerE5 antibody, indicating an instantaneous formation of a fusion pore that allowed rapid equilibration of vesicular lumenal pH but prevented FM1-43 release because of its slow dissociation from the inner vesicular membrane. Our observations suggest that synapses operate via a sequential âkiss-and-runâ and âfull-collapseâ exocytosis mechanism. The initially narrow vesicular pore allows the equilibration of intravesicular pH which then progresses toward full fusion, causing FM1-43 release
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Microfluidic chamber design for controlled droplet expansion and coalescence
The defined formation and expansion of droplets are essential operations for droplet-based screening assays. The volumetric expansion of droplets causes a dilution of the ingredients. Dilution is required for the generation of concentration graduation which is mandatory for many different assay protocols. Here, we describe the design of a microfluidic operation unit based on a bypassed chamber and its operation modes. The different operation modes enable the defined formation of sub-”L droplets on the one hand and the expansion of low nL to sub-”L droplets by controlled coalescence on the other. In this way the chamber acts as fluidic interface between two fluidic network parts dimensioned for different droplet volumes. Hence, channel confined droplets of about 30â40 nL from the first network part were expanded to cannel confined droplets of about 500 to about 2500 nL in the second network part. Four different operation modes were realized: (a) flow rate independent droplet formation in a self-controlled way caused by the bypassed chamber design, (b) single droplet expansion mode, (c) multiple droplet expansion mode, and (d) multiple droplet coalescence mode. The last mode was used for the automated coalescence of 12 droplets of about 40 nL volume to produce a highly ordered output sequence with individual droplet volumes of about 500 nL volume. The experimental investigation confirmed a high tolerance of the developed chamber against the variation of key parameters of the dispersed-phase like salt content, pH value and fluid viscosity. The presented fluidic chamber provides a solution for the problem of bridging different droplet volumes in a fluidic networ
Induction Heating in Underwater Wet WeldingâThermal Input, Microstructure and Diffusible Hydrogen Content
Hydrogen-assisted cracking is a major challenge in underwater wet welding of high-strength steels with a carbon equivalent larger than 0.4 wt%. In dry welding processes, post-weld heat treatment can reduce the hardness in the heat-affected zone while simultaneously lowering the diffusible hydrogen concentration in the weldment. However, common heat treatments known from atmospheric welding under dry conditions are non-applicable in the wet environment. Induction heating could make a difference since the heat is generated directly in the workpiece. In the present study, the thermal input by using a commercial induction heating system under water was characterized first. Then, the effect of an additional induction heating was examined with respect to the resulting microstructure of weldments on structural steels with different strength and composition. Moreover, the diffusible hydrogen content in weld metal was analyzed by the carrier gas hot extraction method. Post-weld induction heating could reduce the diffusible hydrogen content by â34% in 30 m simulated water depth
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Chip-based duplex real-time PCR for water quality monitoring concerning Legionella pneumophila and Legionella spp.
Based on biomolecular methods, rapid and selective identification of human pathogenic water organisms becomes an important issue. Legionella spp., are pathogenic water bacteria with worldwide significance. Prevalent detection methods for these microorganisms are time and/or cost intensive. We describe a detection setup and relating DNA assay. A miniaturized real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) for direct on-line discrimination of Legionella pneumophila and Legionella spp. was established and integrated into a real-time PCR-chip-system. The PCR-chip device combines a temperature controlling unit and a fluorescence intensity measurement. It was designed to achieve rapid amplification, using an approach of real-time fluorescence read out with the intercalating dye EvaGreenÂź and melting curve analysis, without requiring multiple probes. The presented results exhibit reproducibility and good sensitivity, showing that the setup is suitable for robust, rapid and cost-efficient detection and monitoring of a variety of Legionella spp.in urban water samples
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