Rendezvous is a critical step in Cognitive Radio Network (CRN) prior to transmission for establishing communication links between secondary users (SUs). Due to the long-term blocking, channel saturation, and scalability issues encountered by dedicated common control channels (CCC) in a distributed CRN, rendezvous is preferable on the available idle channels of the primary users (PUs). In fact, each SU is unaware of the other SUs’ available channel sets, and the blind rendezvous is performed through the channel hopping (CH) process. As a result, ensuring a rendezvous between two SUs in a finite period in an asynchronous environment remains a challenging problem. In this work, a disjoint difference set based CH (DDSCH) method is developed that ensures the highest degree of rendezvous in comparatively less time.

Point cloud coding solutions have been recently standardized to address the needs of multiple application scenarios. The design and assessment of point cloud coding methods require reliable objective quality metrics to evaluate the level of degradation introduced by compression or any other type of processing. Several point cloud objective quality metrics has been recently proposed to reliable estimate human perceived quality, including the so-called projection-based metrics. In this context, this paper proposes a joint geometry and color projection-based point cloud objective quality metric which solves the critical weakness of this type of quality metrics, i.e., the misalignment between the reference and degraded projected images. Moreover, the proposed point cloud quality metric exploits the best performing 2D quality metrics in the literature to assess the quality of the projected images. The experimental results show that the proposed projection-based quality metric offers the best subjective-objective correlation performance in comparison with other metrics in the literature. The Pearson correlation gains regarding D1-PSNR and D2-PSNR metrics are 17% and 14.2 when data with all coding degradations is considered.

In this paper, we carry out a unified study for L_1 over L_2 sparsity promoting models, which are widely used in the regime of coherent dictionaries for recovering sparse nonnegative/arbitrary signal. First, we provide the exact recovery condition on both the constrained and the unconstrained models for a broad set of signals. Next, we prove the solution existence of these L_{1}/L_{2} models under the assumption that the null space of the measurement matrix satisfies the $s$-spherical section property. Then by deriving an analytical solution for the proximal operator of the L_{1} / L_{2} with nonnegative constraint, we develop a new alternating direction method of multipliers based method (ADMM$_p^+$) to solve the unconstrained model. We establish its global convergence to a d-stationary solution (sharpest stationary) and its local linear convergence under certain conditions. Numerical simulations on two specific applications confirm the superior of ADMM$_p^+$ over the state-of-the-art methods in sparse recovery. ADMM$_p^+$ reduces computational time by about $95\%\sim99\%$ while achieving a much higher accuracy compared to commonly used scaled gradient projection method for wavelength misalignment problem.

In this paper, a dielectric modulated negative capacitance (NC)-MoS2 field effect transistor (FET)-based biosensor is proposed for label-free detection of biomolecules such as enzymes, proteins, DNA, etc. Various reports present experimental demonstration and modelling of NC-MoS2 FET, but it is never utilized as a dielectric modulated biosensor. Therefore, in this work, the modelling, characterization and sensitivity analysis of dielectric modulated NC-MoS2 FET is focussed. For immobilization of biomolecules, a nanocavity is formed below the gate by etching some portion of the gate oxide material. The immobilization of biomolecules in the cavity leads to a variation of different electrostatic properties such as surface potential, threshold voltage, drain current, and subthreshold-swing (SS) which can be utilized as sensing parameters. An analytical model for the proposed biosensor is also developed in the subthreshold region by considering the properties of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectric materials and benchmarked with TCAD device simulations. The effect of change of gate length and doping concentration on different electrical properties is also analysed to estimate the optimum value of channel doping. The results prove that the proposed device can be used for next-generation low power label-free biosensor which shows enhanced sensitivity as compared to traditional FET-based biosensors.

Automated trading is used in most of the major markets of our world. In order to ensure sustainable development, incorporating ethical and socially responsible ideas while designing these Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems has become a necessity. Both the industry and the academia are working towards Responsible AI, which can make Socially Responsible Investments (SRI). This paper reviews the research on SRI investment in the financial sector and evaluates these methods, which can help find future research directions in Computational Finance. This survey looks at the machine learning techniques used for ethical decision-making while stock or forex trading, which will benefit any further research work on Responsible AI in Finance.

Magnetic scaffolds have been investigated as promising tools for the interstitial hyperthermia treatment of bone cancers, to control local recurrence by enhancing radio- and chemotherapy effectiveness. The potential of magnetic scaffolds motivates the development of production strategies enabling tunability of the resulting magnetic properties. Within this framework, deposition and drop-casting of magnetic nanoparticles on suitable scaffolds offer advantages such as ease of production and high loading, although these approaches are often associated with a non-uniform final spatial distribution of nanoparticles in the biomaterial. The implications and the influences of nanoparticle distribution on the final therapeutic application have not yet been investigated thoroughly. In this work, poly-caprolactone scaffolds are magnetized by loading them with synthetic magnetic nanoparticles through a drop-casting deposition and tuned to obtain different distributions of magnetic nanoparticles in the biomaterial. The physicochemical properties of the magnetic scaffolds are analyzed. The microstructure and the morphological alterations due to the reworked drop-casting process are evaluated and correlated to static magnetic measurements. THz tomography is used as an investigation technique to derive the spatial distribution of nanoparticles. Finally, in silico multiphysics experiments are used to investigate the influence on the loading patterns on the interstitial bone tumor hyperthermia treatment.

Phase identification is the problem of determining what phase(s) that a load is connected to in a power distribution system. However, real-world sensor measurements used for phase identification have some level of noise that can hamper the ability to identify phase connections using data-driven methods. Knowing the phase connections is important to keep the distribution system balanced so that parts of the system are not overloaded, which can lead to inefficient operations, accelerated component degradation, and system destruction at worst. We present a feature engineering pipeline that combines Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) with an Interquartile Range (IQR)-based nonlinear filter to denoise matrices of voltage magnitude measurements. We empirically show that this pipeline is effective in denoising data that contains either additive Gaussian, Laplacian, Cauchy, or mixed Gaussian/Cauchy noise. This approach reduces Frobenius error and increases the average phase identification accuracy over a year of non-stationary time series data. K-medoids clustering is used on the denoised voltage magnitude measurements to perform phase identification.

Prediction of stock prices has been an important area of research for a long time. While supporters of the efficient market hypothesis believe that it is impossible to predict stock prices accurately, there are formal propositions demonstrating that accurate modeling and designing of appropriate variables may lead to models using which stock prices and stock price movement patterns can be very accurately predicted. Researchers have also worked on technical analysis of stocks with a goal of identifying patterns in the stock price movements using advanced data mining techniques. In this work, we propose an approach of hybrid modeling for stock price prediction building different machine learning and deep learning-based models. For the purpose of our study, we have used NIFTY 50 index values of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India, during the period December 29, 2014 till July 31, 2020. We have built eight regression models using the training data that consisted of NIFTY 50 index records from December 29, 2014 till December 28, 2018. Using these regression models, we predicted the open values of NIFTY 50 for the period December 31, 2018 till July 31, 2020. We, then, augment the predictive power of our forecasting framework by building four deep learning-based regression models using long-and short-term memory (LSTM) networks with a novel approach of walk-forward validation. Using the grid-searching technique, the hyperparameters of the LSTM models are optimized so that it is ensured that validation losses stabilize with the increasing number of epochs, and the convergence of the validation accuracy is achieved. We exploit the power of LSTM regression models in forecasting the future NIFTY 50 open values using four different models that differ in their architecture and in the structure of their input data. Extensive results are presented on various metrics for all the regression models. The results clearly indicate that the LSTM-based univariate model that uses one-week prior data as input for predicting the next week’s open value of the NIFTY 50 time series is the most accurate model.

Nanomagnetic devices such as computer gates and memory devices based on magnetic skyrmions are close to becoming a reality. In this paper we will explore the highly nonconvex nanomagnetic energy landscape in order to draw conclusions about the complexity of magnetic phenomena. Morse theoretic arguments show that, in a bounded energy interval, the number of critical points of the energy functional grows exponentially. To show this, we introduce a hierarchy of models for the design of nanomagnetic devices to provide a solid foundation for the introduction of topological tools. To reason in terms of lattice models, one must make a distinction between two types of lattices: the quantum mechanical model of the actual physical lattice and the lattice model that can be associated with a discretization of a continuum model of the physics. By focusing on the implications of Morse theory applied to lattice systems arising from the discretization of the continuum models, and the notion of “topological frustration”, we provide a framework for understanding “complexity” in the context of nanomagnetic systems. We conclude with some suggestions for making the analysis more qualitative.

Multi Stage Kalman Filter (MSKF) Based Time-Varying Sparse Channel Estimation with Fast Convergence Submitted to IEEE Journal

Objective: The aim of this study is to define the best transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coil orientations for three clinically relevant brain areas (pre-supplementary motor area, inferior frontal gyrus, and posterior parietal cortex) by means of simulations in 12 realistic head models of current density. Methods: We computed the current densities generated by TMS in our three volumes of interest (VOI) that were delineated based on published atlases. We then analyzed the maximum intensity and spatial focality for the normal and absolute components of the current density considering different percentile thresholds. Lastly, we correlated these results with the different anatomical properties of our VOIs. Results: Overall, the spatial focality of the current density for the three VOIs varied depending on the coil’s orientation. There was major interindividual variability, and there was therefore no specific orientation that produced the best focality for all subjects. Further analysis showed that the differences in individual brain anatomy were related to the amount of focality achieved. In general, a larger percentage of sulci resulted in larger spatial focality. Moreover, larger normal current density intensity was achieved when positioning the coil axis perpendicular to the predominant orientations of the gyri of each ’s VOI. Conclusion: For a rough approximation, better coil orientations can be based on the individual’s specific brain morphology at the VOI. Moreover, TMS computational models should be employed to obtain better coil orientations in non-motor regions of interest. Significance: Finding better coil orientations in non-motor regions is a challenge in TMS and seeks to reduce interindividual variability. Our individualized TMS simulation pipeline leads to lesser interindividual variability in the focality, likely enhancing the efficacy of the stimulation and reducing the risk of stimulating adjacent, nontargeted areas. @font-face {font-family:Helvetica; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1342208091 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:“Cambria Math”; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;}@font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:0 0 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 0; mso-font-alt:Times; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1342185562 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:“”; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:8.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:“Calibri”,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:“Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:“Calibri”,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:“Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:107%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

Detecting and recognizing pulses is a critical task, in fields as widely separated as telecommunications, lidar, and target illumination. In all cases, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a key parameter that can be used to determine both the potential rate of errors and the probability of correct detection. In this paper the relationship among pulse width, amplifier bandwidth, and SNR is determined through modeling four approximations to pulse shapes and four amplifier lowpass filter configurations. The analysis determined that, given a specific filter and pulse shape, the bandwidth that maximizes SNR is a constant divided by the pulse width. For example, if the pulse has a Gaussian shape and the amplifier incorporates a second-order Chebyshev lowpass filter, this constant is 0.3389. Applying this, if the pulse width is 20 ns the maximum SNR comes for a filter bandwidth of 16.95 MHz, while if the pulse width is 50 µs the SNR is maximized at a 6.778-kHz bandwidth. Passing the signal through a filter also distorts the signal shape; the temporal shift and pulse lengthening are also determined. The calculated values are offered as inputs to a potential trade space that includes SNR, pulse distortion by the filter, and cost.

Reuse-1 systems operating in the sub-1 GHz UHF band are limited by substantial co-channel interference (CCI). In such orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) cellular systems, the inter-sector or inter-tower interference (ITI) makes accurate signal recovery quite challenging as sub-1 GHz bands only support single-input single-output (SISO) links. Interference-aware receiver algorithms are essential to mitigate the ITI in such low-frequency bands. Such algorithms enable ubiquitous mobile broadband access over the entire homeland, say with >95% geographical coverage with quality of service guarantees. One element of the interference-aware signal recovery is the least-squares-based joint channel estimation scheme that uses non-orthogonal pilot subcarriers. This estimator is then compared with a variant that uses orthogonal pilot subcarriers to bring out the advantage of this joint estimator. It is shown that the proposed joint estimator requires fewer pilots to be well-determined when compared to its under-determined orthogonal counterpart. Moreover, it is easy to implement and does not require any knowledge of channel statistics. This work also derives a compensation factor needed for the interference-aware detector in the presence of inter-carrier interference (ICI) originating from multiple transmitters. Simulation results show that the proposed joint channel estimator outperforms traditional estimators at moderate to high frequency selectivity. The proposed compensation factor to the joint detector is found to be essential for recovering the transmitted signal in the absence of phase-tracking pilots.

Fractional-N charge pump phase locked loops (PLLs) suffer from the problem of increased in-band phase noise due to charge pump non-linearity caused by UP/DN chargepump current mismatch. Existing techniques that resolve this problem by introducing phase offset between reference and divide signals cause large reference spurs or increase jitter at PLL output. A very low reference spur phase offset technique is proposed in this work. It produces the lowest reference spurs compared to previously published works. A detailed comparison of the reference spurs caused by the different techniques to introduce phase offset is presented. Simulation results show that the reference spur level generated at the PLL output after applying the proposed technique is 26 dB lower than the existing techniques in the presence of 5% chargepump current mismatch.

Recent years have witnessed the rapid deployment of smart homes; most of them are controlled by remote servers in the cloud. Such designs raise security and privacy concerns for end users. In this paper, we describe the design of Sovereign, a home IoT system framework that provides end users complete control of their home IoT systems. Sovereign lets home IoT devices and applications communicate via application-named data and secures data directly. This enables direct, secure, one-to-one and one-to-many device-to-device communication over wireless broadcast media. Sovereign utilizes semantic names to construct usable security solutions. We implement Sovereign as a publish-subscribe-based development platform together with a prototype home IoT controller. Our preliminary evaluation shows that Sovereign provides a systematic, easy-to-use solution to user-controlled, self-contained smart homes running on existing IoT hardware without imposing noticeable overhead.

During COVID-19 and other pandemics, endotracheal intubation is an effective and common method to save patients as the virus causes lung fibrosis and thus patients are unable to breathe spontaneously. Medical staff need to insert a tube close to the patient’s mouth, thereby leading to a high risk of cross-infection. To protect medical staff, we propose an autonomous intubation robot system (AIRS). With the developed visual servoing and hybrid control method, the entire system can simulate doctors for satisfying repeatability and safety of intubation operations. This system includes a self-driving/teleoperation platform, two co-robot arms, a new multi-functional laryngoscope, force sensors, and several cameras. In the visual servoing part, we realize recognition and location of the patient’s face, medical devices, and main physiological structures to provide real-time navigation. In the hybrid control part, we establish an oral model, propose an offline planning method and PID controllers by combining force, vision, and motion, and apply Virtual Fixture to insert safely. AIRS’s validation is with a phantom model under a 2-min operation. Our proposed robot is original and promising in the area of emergent medical robots. We will further validate AIRS in clinical applications and extend the developed techniques in other general treatments.

Influenza, an acute viral respiratory disease that is currently causing severe financial and resource strains worldwide. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic exceeding 153 million cases worldwide, there is a need for a low-cost and contactless surveillance system to detect symptomatic individuals, more so in counties with limited healthcare resources. As with many diseases, there are bio-clinical signals relating to the physical symptoms. The main objective of this study was to develop FluNet, a novel, proof-of-concept, low-cost and contactless device for the detection of high-risk individuals. The system passively conducts face detection in the longwave infrared domain with a precision rating of 0.9798 and mean intersection over union of 0.7386 while sequentially taking the temperature trend of faces with a thermal accuracy of ± 1 K. While in parallel determining if someone in audible proximity is coughing by using a custom deep convolutional neural network with a precision rating of 0.9519. In addition to presenting FluNet, two datasets have been constructed, one for face detection in the longwave infrared domain consisting of 250 images of 20 participants’ faces at various rotations and coverings, including face masks. The other for the real-time detection of cough patterns comprised of a sizeable dataset of 40,482 cough / not cough sounds, coupled with a new lightweight artificial neural network architecture for the classification of cough spectrograms. These findings could be helpful for future low-cost edge computing applications for influenza-like monitoring.

This paper proposes novel buffer-aided relaying selection in a two-hop cooperative network based on virtual full-duplex (VFD) and half-duplex transmission. The proposed scheme consists of five relay selection modes, i.e., two unicast modes, a broadcast mode, a cooperative beamforming mode, and a VFD mode. The broadcast mode allows multiple relay nodes to seamlessly share a common packet, which allows us to solve the inter-relay interference problem imposed on the VFD mode.