A New Set of Wi-Fi Dynamic Line-Based Localization Algorithms for Indoor Environments

Localization is of great importance for several fields such as healthcare and security. To achieve localization, GPS technologies are common for outdoor localization but are insufficient for indoor localization. This is because the accuracy and precision of the users’ indoor locations are influenced by many factors (e.g., multipath signal propagations). As a result, the methodologies and technologies for indoor localization services need to remain continuously under development. A related challenge is the time complexity of the methodologies which impacts the performance of the mobile phones’ limited resources. To address these challenges, a new set of fingerprinting algorithms called Fingerprinting Line-Based Nearest Neighbor (FLBNN) is proposed. Furthermore, the new set is compared to other existing Nearest Neighbor-based algorithms. When the deployment of four access points is considered, the FLBNN algorithms outperform several algorithms in terms of accuracy such as Nearest Neighbor version 2, Nearest Neighbor version 4, and Soft-Range-Limited KNN by approximately 17.1%, 7.8%, and 24.1%; respectively. With regards to precision, the new set of algorithms outperforms Path-Loss-Based Fingerprint Localization (PFL) and Dual-Scanned Fingerprint Localization (DFL) by approximately 7.0% and 60.9%; respectively. Moreover, the FLBNN algorithms have a time complexity of O(t * p) where the term t is the number of deployed centroids and the term p is the number of Path Loss exponents. In addition, the new set of algorithms achieves faster run time compared to those for PFL and DFL. As a result, this Thesis improves the cost and reliability of the indoor location services

Comparing the effects of different approaches to liberalising world grains markets

The success of the current Doha Round of the WTO negotiations on agriculture will require substantial reform in each of the three areas of market access, export subsidies and domestic support. Substantial improvement in market access for agricultural products will be an essential requirement for achieving a successful outcome. However, the extent of improvement in market access resulting from the current negotiations will largely depend on the form and the approach followed to reduce tariffs and expand tariff rate quotas. In this paper different approaches to expanding market access for grains area analysed using a partial equilibrium model. Simulated scenarios include linear reductions in applied tariffs and expansions in tariff rate quotas, which are contrasted with a scenario representing market access proposals of the Cairns Group of countries in the current WTO agricultural negotiations. The effects of these two trade liberalisation scenarios on world prices and trade are analysed and discussed. Results indicate that to achieve a meaningful gain in market access for grains, WTO members must agree to either directly reduce the current applied tariffs or make large percentage reductions to the WTO bound rates, which lead to effective reductions in the current applied rates.Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade,

The White Man\u27s Burden

This paper is concerned with a broad, general defining of the concept of the White Man\u27s Burden. There is a brief history given leading up to the White Man\u27s Burden, with emphasis on the Monroe Doctrine. The three composing factors of the White Man\u27s Burden are Christianity, Pragmatism, and Manifest Destiny; they are explained in detail and an attempt has been made to show how they form a cohesive unit, and in turn, a foreign policy. This paper has attempted to show the beginning of American foreign policy with the hopes of better understanding our foreign policy in the 1970\u27s

Synthesis and characterisation of an N-heterocyclic carbene with spatially-defined steric impact

The synthesis and co-ordination chemistry of a new ‘bulky yet flexible’ N-heterocyclic carbene (“IPaul”) is reported. This carbene has spatially-defined steric impact; steric maps show that two quadrants are very bulky while the other two are quite open. The electronic properties of this carbene are very similar to those of other 1,3-diarylimidazol-2-ylidenes. Copper, silver, iridium, and nickel complexes of the new ligand have been prepared. In solution, the ligand adopts two different conformations, while X-ray crystallographic analyses of the transition metal complexes suggest that the syn-conformer is preferred in the solid state due to intermolecular interactions. The copper complex of this new ligand has been shown to be highly-active in the hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds, when compared to the analogous IPr, IMes, IPr* and IPr*OMe complexes

Bispectrum of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect

We perform a detailed study of the bispectrum of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. Using an analytical model for the pressure profiles of the intracluster medium, we demonstrate the SZ bispectrum to be a sensitive probe of the amplitude of the matter power spectrum parameter sigma_8. We find that the bispectrum amplitude scales as B_SZ ~ sigma_8^{11-12}, compared to that of the power spectrum, which scales as A_tSZ ~ sigma_8^{7-9}. We show that the SZ bispectrum is principally sourced by massive clusters at redshifts around z~0.4, which have been well-studied observationally. This is in contrast to the SZ power spectrum, which receives a significant contribution from less-well understood low-mass and high-redshift groups and clusters. Therefore, the amplitude of the bispectrum at l~3000 is less sensitive to astrophysical uncertainties than the SZ power spectrum. We show that current high resolution CMB experiments should be able to detect the SZ bispectrum amplitude with high significance, in part due to the low contamination from extra-galactic foregrounds. A combination of the SZ bispectrum and the power spectrum can sharpen the measurements of thermal and kinetic SZ components and help distinguish cosmological and astrophysical information from high-resolution CMB maps.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, published in The Astrophysical Journa

Beam combining using Orientational Stimulated Scattering in Liquid Crystals

Possibility of beam combining and clean-up using Orientational Stimulated Scattering in a Nematic Liquid Crystal is considered. We numerically study the dynamics of the process and find that back-conversion process tends to limit the effective interaction strength. Instability of the steady state of cross-phase modulation is demonstrated, when both waves have the same frequency. We show that high conversion efficiency can be achieved, and that the shape and wave-front of the amplified output signal are robust with respect to amplitude and phase distortions of the input pump.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, will be published in JOSA

Optimal design and quantum limit for second harmonic generation in semiconductor heterostructures

The optimal design for infrared second harmonic generation (SHG) is determined for a GaAs-based quantum device using a recently developed genetic approach. Both compositional parameters and electric field are simultaneously optimized, and the quantum limit for SHG, set by the trade-off between large dipole moments (favouring electron delocalization) and large overlaps (favouring electron localization), is determined. Optimal devices are generally obtained with an asymmetric double quantum well shape with narrow barriers and a graded region sideways to the largest well. An electric field is not found to lead to improved SHG if compositional parameters are optimized.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures embedded. To apper in J. App. Phys. (Jan 2nd, 2001

The invariant manifold approach applied to nonlinear dynamics of a rotor-bearing system

The invariant manifold approach is used to explore the dynamics of a nonlinear rotor, by determining the nonlinear normal modes, constructing a reduced order model and evaluating its performance in the case of response to an initial condition. The procedure to determine the approximation of the invariant manifolds is discussed and a strategy to retain the speed dependent effects on the manifolds without solving the eigenvalue problem for each spin speed is presented. The performance of the reduced system is analysed in function of the spin speed