Copper-releasing, borate-based glasses with antibacterial properties: synthesis and in vitro characterization

In this study, glasses within the system (60-x) B2O3⋅x ZnO⋅34CaO⋅1CuO, with x=5, 10, 15, 20, 25 mol% and with B2O3/ZnO ratios 11; 5; 3; 2; 1.4 have been synthesized and characterized in vitro. After being immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) and saline solution, weight loss reduction and pH measurments, followed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectometry (ICP-OES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were performed, in order to evaluate the changes in glass morphology. In vitro biodegradation and surface reaction were observed in all of the glasses, especially in the x=10, 15, 20 samples. SEM and XRD results revealed the presence of a hydrotalcite-like structure (double layered hydroxid) at the aqueous solution-glass surface interface, while Cu, Zn, Ca and B ions, with proangiogenic properties, were detected in the immersion fluid

A Unified Multi-Functional Dynamic Spectrum Access Framework: Tutorial, Theory and Multi-GHz Wideband Testbed

Dynamic spectrum access is a must-have ingredient for future sensors that are ideally cognitive. The goal of this paper is a tutorial treatment of wideband cognitive radio and radar—a convergence of (1) algorithms survey, (2) hardware platforms survey, (3) challenges for multi-function (radar/communications) multi-GHz front end, (4) compressed sensing for multi-GHz waveforms—revolutionary A/D, (5) machine learning for cognitive radio/radar, (6) quickest detection, and (7) overlay/underlay cognitive radio waveforms. One focus of this paper is to address the multi-GHz front end, which is the challenge for the next-generation cognitive sensors. The unifying theme of this paper is to spell out the convergence for cognitive radio, radar, and anti-jamming. Moore’s law drives the system functions into digital parts. From a system viewpoint, this paper gives the first comprehensive treatment for the functions and the challenges of this multi-function (wideband) system. This paper brings together the inter-disciplinary knowledge

Bounded-uncertainty estimation for correlated signal and noise

In this paper we present a class of bounded-uncertainty estimators as the solution of a classic estimation problem involving unknown statistics. The estimators are derived under the non-typical assumption of correlated signal and noise. The boundeduncertainty framework gives an additional degree of freedom for estimator design that can benefit its performance. It also provides an indirect way of verifying hypotheses regarding unknown variable statistics in a particular application domain by examining the behavior of the estimators as a function of the bound(s). If the unknown statistics are within a lower bound than the worst-case limit assumed by a classic minimax estimator, the quality of the estimation is increased by this new approach. I

VORTEX: Video retrieval and tracking from compressed multimedia databases -- multiple object tracking from MPEG-2 bitstream

Multimedia data are generally stored in compressed form in order to efficiently utilize the available storage facilities. Access to multimedia archives is thus dependent on our ability to browse compressed information. In this paper, a novel approach to multiple object tracking from compressed multimedia databases is presented. This approach is intended to operate in a distributed environment, where users initiate video searches and retrieve relevant video information simultaneously from multiple compressed video archives. The system operates on the compressed video to find and track objects of interest and determine their positions in the image. This enables more complex query formulations in terms of the relative positions of the target objects in the image. The filtering and analysis of motion information (motion vectors) is used to track objects in the video bit stream. Once the search has terminated, the system may decompress and display the query-relevant video sequences upon request