Demonstration of radio-over-fibre transmission of broadband MIMO over multimode fibre using mode division multiplexing

A novel method for sending MIMO wireless signals to remote antenna units over a single multimode fibre is proposed. MIMO streams are sent via different fibre modes using mode division multiplexing. Combined channel measurements of 2km MMF and a typical indoor radio environment show in principle a 2×2 MIMO link at carrier frequencies up to 6GHz. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

Coarse optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing for optical datacommunication applications

We propose a new low-cost solution using orthogonal transmission of non-return-tozero and carrierless-amplitude-and-phase format data to realize a coarse OFDM transmission system. Using low bandwidth electronics and optoelectronic components, the system is demonstrated at 37.5Gb/s. © OSA/ CLEO 2011.

Holographic mode generation for mode division multiplexing

This paper demonstrates how techniques from computational holography can be employed to significantly improve the modal selectivity of phase masks used in mode division multiplexing. © 2012 OSA.

Precise modal excitation in multimode fibre for control of modal dispersion and mode-group division multiplexing

Each mode of a multimode fibre is excited using binary phase patterns on a Spatial Light Modulator and verified by observation of the near-field leaving the fibre and analysis of the step response. © 2011 OSA.

Holographic mode-group division multiplexing

Specific fibre modes are deliberately excited in a few-mode and multimode fibre using holography. The same system is also used to demonstrate holography's ability to detect and route individual fibre modes. © OSA/OFC/NFOEC 2011.

20 Gb/s mode-group-division multiplexing employing Hermite-Gaussian launches over worst-case multimode fiber links

For the first time, mode group division multiplexing is achieved in a multimode fiber link using a 2-D Hermite-Gaussian mode launch. 20 Gb/s error-free transmission is achieved over a 250 m worst-case OM1 multimode fiber link. © OSA 2014.

Regulation by hetC of genes required for heterocyst differentiation and cell division in Anabaena sp strain PCC 7120

Unlike those of the wild-type strain, proheterocysts of the Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 hetC strain keep dividing. ftsZ, the most critical cell division gene, is up-regulated in hetC proheterocysts. Heterocyst differentiation genes hglD, hglE, patB, nijB, and xisA are no longer expressed in the hetC mutant. hetC also regulates the expression of patA, a pattern formation gene.

Margulis' theory on division of labour in cells revisited

Division of labour is a marked feature of multicellular organisms. Margulis proposed that the ancestors of metazoans had only one microtubule organizing center (MTOC), so they could not move and divide simultaneously. Selection for simultaneous movement and cell division had driven the division of labour between cells. However, no evidence or explanation for this assumption was provided. Why could the unicellular ancetors not have multiple MTOCs? The gain and loss of three possible strategies are discussed. It was found that the advantage of one or two MTOC per cell is environment-dependent. Unicellular organisms with only one MTOC per cell are favored only in resource-limited environments without strong predatory pressure. If division of labour occurring in a bicellular organism just makes simultaneous movement and cell division possible, the possibility of its fixation by natural selection is very low because a somatic cell performing the function of an MTOC is obviously wasting resources. Evolutionary biologists should search for other selective forces for division of labour in cells.

Enhanced fiber Bragg grating sensor demodulation technique using cascade wavelength division multiplex couplers

An enhanced technique for interrogating fiber Bragg grating wavelength shift using cascade wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) couplers was proposed and demonstrated. Three WDM couplers which show a linear filter function over the expected wavelength range are employed and cascaded to track Bragg wavelength shifts. Compared with single WDM demodulator. sharper spectral slope is obtained and considerable linear filter range is kept. The static and dynamic strain sensor demodulation experiments demonstrated that the simple passive technique improves the sensitivity approximately two times and keeps 5nm linear demodulation range based on our devices. The cascade WDM coupler demodulation system has high scan rate which can be used to monitor fast vibration.

克隆植物东方草莓对异质生境的适应对策

克隆植物被认为比非克隆植物更宜于利用异质性环境。在复杂的空间异质环境中，克隆植物可能形成了各种有效利用环境异质性的适应对策。对于克隆植物适应机制的研究，前人已做了大量的工作，特别是从形态和生物量分配等方面对简单异质生境下克隆植物的克隆整合和克隆分工进行了详细的研究。本研究以分布广泛的克隆植物东方草莓（Fragaria orientalis）作为研究对象，应用野外调查和实验生态学方法，采用多对比度单资源模型和不同向双资源模型，从形态和生理生态的角度，研究复杂异质生境下克隆植物的整合和分工及其耗益问题，分析不同类型的生境对克隆植物整合和分工的修饰作用，进而探讨克隆植物对异质生境的适应策略。克隆构型和分株种群特征是植物克隆生长及其生态适应对策研究的基本内容。本文通过野外调查，研究在不同光照条件下东方草莓克隆构型、分株种群特征以及点分布格局。结果表明：东方草莓的克隆构型随光照发生相应的变化，低光照下其匍匐茎节间长和分枝角度均增大而分枝强度减小；随光照减弱，东方草莓分株种群的生物量、根冠比和分株种群密度显著降低；不同光照下东方草莓分株均以随机分布为主但不同尺度下有所差异，其分布格局强度依次为旷地<林缘<林下。结合克隆植物对资源的利用对策，探讨了克隆构型和分株种群特征以及分布格局随环境条件变化的生态适应意义。不同生境斑块条件下克隆植物可能采取不同的适应对策。采用盆栽实验，研究不同水分对比度下克隆整合及其生理生态特征，并对单向和交互资源中东方草莓的克隆整合做了对比研究。结果显示：高的水分对比度能够促进东方草莓的克隆整合，并能刺激相连分株增加光合作用，东方草莓体内的氧化—抗氧化系统也II随对比度做出相应的反应。耗-益分析表明胁迫分株的受益是以供给分株的损耗为代价的，但从克隆片段总体来说是受益的。单向资源中东方草莓生长的绝对值高于交互资源，但耗-益分析表明生长于交互资源下东方草莓的克隆整合获益大于生长于单向资源下东方草莓的克隆整合获益。长期生长于特定生境的克隆植物，在进化过程中其克隆整合和克隆分工在对资源异质性的适应策略方面可能有所侧重。采用盆栽实验对来自不同海拔梯度的东方草莓的克隆整合和克隆分工对异质资源的适应对策进行了研究。实验结果表明，来自高海拔的东方草莓可塑性较差。来自两个海拔的东方草莓对切断匍匐茎的表现有所差异，总体上切断匍匐茎对来自高海拔的东方草莓影响更大些。另外，来自高海拔的东方草莓表现出更高的克隆分工。IIIClonal plants are known to be more suitable for the habitats of heterogeneousresources than nonclonal plants, perhaps due to their well developed adaptivestrategies to environmental heterogeneity. Many studies have been done on theadaptive mechanisms of clonal plants, especially on the clonal integration anddivision of labor with morphology and biomass allocation under simpleheterogeneous habitats. Based on field surveys, laboratory experiments, multi-contrastunidirectional resource model and reciprocal resource model, Fragaria orientalis, aRosaceae stoloniferous herb that widely distributes in China, was used to study thisplant’s morphological and physiological responses to complicated heterogeneoushabitats in terms of its clonal integration, division of labor and cost-benefit, as well astheir modifications by different habitats, so as to better understand the adaptivestrategies of clonal plants under heterogeneous environments.Clonal architecture and ramet population characteristics are of the major concernin the studies on growth and adaptive strategies of clonal plants. Clonal architecture,ramet population characteristics and spatial point pattern of F. orientalis underdifferent light intensity were studied with field observations. The results showed that,clonal architecture changed with light availability: Internode-lengths and branchangels of stolons were larger while branch intensities were smaller under lower lightintensity than those under higher light intensity; Biomass of ramet population,root-shoot ratio and density of ramet population decreased significantly with reduce oflight intensity; Under all light intensities, spatial pattern of ramets was mainlyrandomly distributed but it changed with different scales, with pattern intensity as:open space < forest edge < understory. Adaptation significance of the clonal architecture, the ramet population characteristics and the spatial pattern changing withdifferent environments was discussed according to these results.Clonal plants may take different adaptive strategies under different patches. Withpot culture, clonal integration and physiological parameters of F. orientalis underdifferent water contrasts were studied, and clonal integration under unilateralresources and reciprocal resources were also compared. The results suggested that,high water contrast improve the clonal integration of F. orientalis and increase thephotosynthesis of connected ramets. Oxidative and antioxidative system of F.orientalis also responded with changing water contrasts. According to cost-benefitanalysis, the drought-stressed ramets obtained benefits from the connectedwell-watered ramets, and as a whole, the clonal fragment could also get benefits.Growth of F. orientalis in homogeneous resources was better than that inheterogeneous resources, but the whole plant got more benefit through clonalintegration in heterogeneous resources than in homogeneous resources.Pot culture experiments were also used to study the adaptive strategies inutilizing heterogeneous resources by the plant populations from different altitudes.The results showed that, F. orientalis from alpine zones were shorter and lessexpanded with poorer clonal plasticity than those from middle mountains. F.orientalis from two different altitudes showed different responses to stolon severing,and as a whole, stolon severing had more influence on F. orientalis from alpine zones.In addition, F. orientalis from alpine zones exhibited higher division of labor, whichsuggested that clonal plants from different habitats develop their own adaptivemechanisms in their clonal integration and division of labor in response toenvironmental heterogeneity.

分工式门限认证加密方案

(t,n)门限认证加密方案允许t个以上签名方产生指定接收方的认证加密签名,使得只有指定的接收方能够恢复消息和验证消息的完整性,而其他人却无法做到这一点.最近,在Tseng和Jan的认证加密方案的基础上,Chung等构造了一个(t,n)门限认证加密方案.该方案运用了分工式签名技术,有效地减轻了签名方的负担.然而,该文作者对该方案的安全性仅进行了解释性说明.目前,文献中没有对分工式门限认证加密的形式化刻画,没有出现可证安全分工式门限认证加密方案.事实上,Chung等的分工式门限认证加密方案存在设计上的缺陷.文中给出了分工式门限认证加密方案的形式化模型和安全模型,基于双线性映射构造了一个新的分工式门限认证加密方案.在随机预言机模型下,证明了该方案对于适应性选择密文攻击是语义安全的,该方案对于适应性选择消息攻击是存在性不可伪造的.方案的安全性可规约到计算性Diffie-Hellman(CDH)困难假设和决定性双线性Diffie-Hellman困难假设(DBDH).

Household Health and Cocoa Production: A Baseline Survey of Smallholder Farming Households in Western Region, Ghana

Background Chronic illness and premature mortality from malaria, water-borne diseases, and respiratory illnesses have long been known to diminish the welfare of individuals and households in developing countries. Previous research has also shown that chronic diseases among farming populations suppress labor productivity and agricultural output. As the illness and death toll from HIV/AIDS continues to climb in most of sub-Saharan Africa, concern has arisen that the loss of household labor it causes will reduce crop yields, impoverish farming households, intensify malnutrition, and suppress growth in the agricultural sector. If chronic morbidity and premature mortality among individuals in farming households have substantial impacts on household production, and if a large number of households are affected, it is possible that an increase in morbidity and mortality from HIV/AIDS or other diseases could affect national aggregate output and exports. If, on the other hand, the impact at the household farm level is modest, or if relatively few households are affected, there is likely to be little effect on aggregate production across an entire country. Which of these outcomes is more likely in West Africa is unknown. Little rigorous, quantitative research has been published on the impacts of AIDS on smallholder farm production, particularly in West Africa. The handful of studies that have been conducted have looked mainly at small populations in areas of very high HIV prevalence in southern and eastern Africa. Conclusions about how HIV/AIDS, and other causes of chronic morbidity and mortality, are affecting agriculture across the continent cannot be drawn from these studies. In view of the importance of agriculture, and particularly smallholder agriculture, in the economies of most African countries and the scarcity of resources for health interventions, it is valuable to identify, describe, and quantify the impact of chronic morbidity and mortality on smallholder production of important crops in West Africa. One such crop is cocoa. In Ghana, cocoa is a crop of national importance that is produced almost exclusively by smallholder households. In 2003, Ghana was the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa. Cocoa accounted for a quarter of Ghana’s export revenues that year and generated 15 percent of employment. The success and growth of the cocoa industry is thus vital to the country’s overall social and economic development. Study Objectives and Methods In February and March 2005, the Center for International Health and Development of Boston University (CIHD) and the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness (DAEA) of the University of Ghana, with financial support from the Africa Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development and from Mars, Inc., which is a major purchaser of West African cocoa, conducted a survey of a random sample of cocoa farming households in the Western Region of Ghana. The survey documented the extent of chronic morbidity and mortality in cocoa growing households in the Western Region of Ghana, the country’s largest cocoa growing region, and analyzed the impact of morbidity and mortality on cocoa production. It aimed to answer three specific research questions. (1) What is the baseline status of the study population in terms of household size and composition, acute and chronic morbidity, recent mortality, and cocoa production? (2) What is the relationship between household size and cocoa production, and how can this relationship be used to understand the impact of adult mortality and chronic morbidity on the production of cocoa at the household level? The study population was the approximately 42,000 cocoa farming households in the southern part of Ghana’s Western Region. A random sample of households was selected from a roster of eligible households developed from existing administrative information. Under the supervision of the University of Ghana field team, enumerators were graduate students of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness or employees of the Cocoa Services Division. A total of 632 eligible farmers participated in the survey. Of these, 610 provided complete responses to all questions needed to complete the multivariate statistical analysis reported here.