Current IMT-2000 R&D status and views in Korea

In this article Korean development of IMT-2000 is considered. It includes the second-generation digital mobile communications, R&D and standardization activities related to IMT-2000, and the authors' perspectives on IMT-2000 in Korea. In Korea, there are many activities for development of IMT-2000 radio transmission technologies, and the results of these activities will be the submission of technologies to the ITU. However, the Korean telecommunications standardization body (TTA) will make every effort to make a common global standard for IMT-2000. Therefore, the TTA will make a domestic standard for IMT-2000 after the ITU finalizes the related Recommendations. It seems to the authors that difficulties in harmonization in the TTA are very similar to difficulties in harmonization worldwide. The only way of reaching the harmonization of IMT-2000 in Korea is that the key players should have the view from the end users' seat     

An Optimized Content-Aware Authentication Scheme for Streaming JPEG-2000 Images Over Lossy Networks

This paper proposes an optimized content-aware authentication scheme for JPEG-2000 streams over lossy networks, where a received packet is consumed only when it is both decodable and authenticated. In a JPEG-2000 codestream, some packets are more important than others in terms of coding dependency and image quality. This naturally motivates allocating more redundant authentication information for the more important packets in order to maximize their probability of authentication and thereby minimize the distortion at the receiver. Towards this goal, with the awareness of its corresponding image content, we formulate an optimization framework to compute an authentication graph to maximize the expected media quality at the receiver, given specific authentication overhead and knowledge of network loss rate. System analysis and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves our design goal in that the rate-distortion (R-D) curve of the authenticated image is very close to the R-D curve when no authentication is required     

Comparison of Markov model and fault tree approach in determining initiating event frequency for systems with two train configurations

This study explores the use of Markov models in some areas of systems analysis in which time evolution of the system may be a significant factor in influencing the system reliability or availability. Comparisons are made between the Markov models and the time-averaged fault tree models for determining support system failure initiating event frequency in a nuclear power plant, for both power and shutdown conditions. Factors affecting consistency between the fault tree approach and the Markov model approach are studied for systems with common two train configurations. A correlation is developed to estimate the ratio between initiator frequencies through both approaches for a two parallel component system. Insights are developed as to when time averaged and simplified fault tree models support a good approximation to the more rigorous time-dependent Markov models.     

Rectilinear steiner tree heuristics and minimum spanning tree algorithms using geographic nearest neighbors

We study the application of the geographic nearest neighbor approach to two problems. The first problem is the construction of an approximately minimum length rectilinear Steiner tree for a set ofn points in the plane. For this problem, we introduce a variation of a subgraph of sizeO(n) used by YaO [31] for constructing minimum spanning trees. Using this subgraph, we improve the running times of the heuristics discussed by Bern [6] fromO(n ² log n) toO(n log² n). The second problem is the construction of a rectilinear minimum spanning tree for a set ofn noncrossing line segments in the plane. We present an optimalO(n logn) algorithm for this problem. The rectilinear minimum spanning tree for a set of points can thus be computed optimally without using the Voronoi diagram. This algorithm can also be extended to obtain a rectilinear minimum spanning tree for a set of nonintersecting simple polygons.The results in this paper are a part of Y. C. Yee's Ph.D. thesis done at SUNY at Albany. He was supported in part by NSF Grants IRI-8703430 and CCR-8805782. S. S. Ravi was supported in part by NSF Grants DCI-86-03318 and CCR-89-05296.     

Effects of ternary additions on the thermoelastic martensitic transformation of NiAl

Nickel-rich β-NiAl alloys, which are potential materials for high-temperature shape-memory alloys, show a thermoelastic martensitic transformation, which produces their shape memory effect. However, the transformation to Ni₅Al₃ phase during heating of NiAl martensite can interrupt the reversible martensitic transformation; consequently, the shape memory effect in NiAl martensite might not appear after heating. The phase transformation process in binary Ni-(34 to 37)Al martensite was investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA) method, and we found that the condition of reversible martensitic transformation was not the β → Ni₅Al₃ transformation, but rather the M → Ni₅Al₃ transformation occurring at 250 °C to 300 °C. Therefore, the transformation temperature of M → Ni₅Al₃ determined the highest operating temperature for the shape memory effect. For verifying the critical temperature, the phase transformation process was investigated for eight ternary Ni-33Al-X alloys (X=Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ti, Si, and Nb). Only Ti, Si, and Nb additions were found to be effective in dropping the M _s temperature, and they facilitated the shape memory effect in Ni-33Al-X alloys. In particular, the addition of Si and Nb raised the transformation temperature of M → Ni₅Al₃, a potentially beneficial effect for shape memory at higher temperatures. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Fundamentals of Structural Intermetallics,” presented at the 2002 TMS Annual Meeting, February 21–27, 2002, in Seattle, Washington, under the auspices of the ASM and TMS Joint Committee on Mechanical Behavior of Materials.     

Optimization techniques for curved path computing

Participating media with an inhomogeneous index of refraction make light follow curved paths. Simulating this in a global illumination environment has usually been neglected due to the complexity of the calculations involved, sacrificing accurate physical simulations for efficient visual results. This paper aims to simulate non-linear media in a more reasonable time than previous works without losing physical correctness. Accuracy is achieved by solving the Eikonal equation of geometrical optics, which describes the path followed by a light beam that traverses a non-linear medium. This equation is used in the context of a photon mapping extension.     

Nano-sized carbon hollow spheres for abatement of ethylene

In this paper, the ethylene adsorption capacities of the nano-sized carbon hollow spheres (CNB) and active carbon (AC), the Pd (PdCl₂) impregnated CNB or AC (Pd/CNB, Pd/AC) and heat treatment under various conditions, were studied at different ethylene concentrations from 64 to 1060 ppm. The results indicated that AC had a good ethylene adsorption capacity at high ethylene concentration. Pd impregnation decreased the ethylene adsorption capacity of AC. Heat treatment and H₂ activation could increase the ethylene adsorption capacity, but also lowered than AC itself. CNB had lower ethylene adsorption capacity than AC, but heat treatment and H₂ activation could increase its ethylene adsorption capacity markedly. With activating condition from heat treatment in N₂ at 300 °C to activation in H₂/N₂ at 100 °C, to activation in H₂ at 200 °C, and to activation in H₂ at 300 °C, the ethylene adsorption capacity of Pd/CNB was increased regularly. At low ethylene concentration, viz., 64 ppm, the ethylene adsorption quantities (q _a) by Pd/CNB activated in H₂ at 200 or 300 °C were higher than any other adsorbents. So, activated in H₂ atmosphere at higher than 100 °C, Pd/CNB is particularly advantaged for adsorbing low concentration of ethylene. Amongst all the adsorbents used, Pd/CNB activated in H₂ atmosphere at 300 °C for 2 h has the highest ethylene adsorption capacity at lower concentration than 125 ppm. In addition, all the CNB, Pd/CNB, AC, and Pd/AC samples can be easily regenerated in airflow for more than 3 h.     

Identification of organochlorines and organobromines in coals

Four Chinese bituminous coals were extracted with CS₂, n-hexane, benzene, methanol, acetone, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and THF/methanol (1: 3 vol/vol) mixed solvent sequentially. The resulting 28 extracts were analyzed with GC/MS. Six organochlorines (OCs) and two organobromines (OBs) were identified in eight extracts from the coals. Our experiments provide, for the first time, the information on the molecular structure of OCs and OBs in coals.     

Passivity behavior of melt-spun Mg–Y Alloys

Several Mg–Y binary ribbons with Y content up to 17.9 at.% were fabricated by melt-spinning. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the phase structure changes with increasing Y content from extended solid solution to partially amorphous, and then fully intermetallic Mg₂₄Y₅. Anodic potentiodynamic polarization performed in 0.01 M NaCl electrolyte (pH=12) revealed improved anodic passivity behavior compared to pure Mg for all the Mg–Y alloys. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the improved passivity of Mg–Y was more related to the elemental oxidation state rather than the concentration of the surface components. To study the effect of Cl⁻ ion on the passivity behavior, anodic potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization were performed on Mg–17.9 at.% Y in alkaline (pH=12) NaCl electrolytes containing Cl⁻ ion in the concentration range from 0.00 to 0.50 M. The passive films formed in 0.01 M NaCl electrolyte were similar to the native film, which were composed of MgO and Y₂O₃. No CO₃²⁻ and Cl⁻ ions were incorporated into the passive film. The passivity was significantly degraded in the electrolytes containing higher Cl⁻ concentration (0.1 and 0.5 M). Detailed XPS revealed that the surface films under these conditions were composed of much hydrated species Mg(OH)₂ and YOOH and/or Y(OH)₃ and CO₃²⁻ was incorporated into the surface film. The incorporation of Y₂O₃ in the passive film was given as the reason for the enhanced passivity properties of Mg–Y ribbons. The mechanism of Cl⁻ and CO₃²⁻ ions to the degradation of the passivity was discussed.