Symbol synchronization exploiting the symmetric property in optical fast OFDM

We propose a new simple method to achieve precise symbol synchronization using one start-of-frame (SOF) symbol in optical fast orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (FOFDM) with subchannel spacing equal to half of the symbol rate per sub-carrier. The proposed method first identifies the SOF symbol, then exploits the evenly symmetric property of the discrete cosine transform in FOFDM, which is also valid in the presence of chromatic dispersion, to achieve precise symbol synchronization. We demonstrate its use in a 16.88-Gb/s phase-shifted-keying-based FOFDM system over a 124-km field-installed single-mode fiber link and show that this technique operates well in automatic precise symbol synchronization at an optical signal-to-noise ratio as low as 3 dB and after transmission.

Comparison of frequency symmetric signal generation from a BPSK input using fiber and semiconductor-based nonlinear elements

This letter compares two nonlinear media for simultaneous carrier recovery and generation of frequency symmetric signals from a 42.7-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero binary phase-shift-keyed input by exploiting four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier and a highly nonlinear optical fiber for use in a phase-sensitive amplifier.

Precipitation casting of drug-loaded microporous PCL matrices:incorporation of progesterone by co-dissolution

Microporous, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) matrices were loaded with progesterone by precipitation casting using co-solutions of PCL and progesterone in acetone. Progesterone loadings up to 32% w/w were readily achieved by increasing the drug content of the starting PCL solution. The kinetics of steroid release in PBS at 37°C over 10 days could be described effectively by a diffusional release model although the Korsmeyer-Peppas model indicated the involvement of multiple release phenomena. The diffusion rate constant (D) increased from 8 to 24 μg/mg matrix/day0.5 as the drug loading increased from 3.6 to 12.4% w/w. A total cumulative release of 75%-95% indicates the high efficiency of steroid delivery. Increasing the matrix density from 0.22 to 0.39 g/cm3, by increasing the starting PCL solution concentration, was less effective in changing drug release kinetics. Retention of anti-proliferative activity of released steroid was confirmed using cultures of breast cancer epithelial (MCF-7) cells. Progesterone released from PCL matrices into PBS at 37°C over 14 days retarded the growth of MCF-7 cells by a factor of at least 3.5 compared with progesterone-free controls. These findings recommend further investigation of precipitation-cast PCL matrices for delivery of bioactive molecules such as anti-proliferative agents from implanted, inserted or topical devices.

Delivery of the antibiotic gentamicin sulphate from precipitation cast matrices of polycaprolactone

Microporous, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) matrices were loaded with the aminoglycoside antibiotic, gentamicin sulphate (GS) using the precipitation casting technique by suspension of powder in the PCL solution prior to casting. Improvements in drug loading from 1.8% to 6.7% w/w and distribution in the matrices were obtained by pre-cooling the suspension to 4°C. Gradual release of approximately 80% of the GS content occurred over 11 weeks in PBS at 37°C and low amounts of antibiotic were measured up to 20 weeks. The kinetics of release could be described effectively by the Higuchi model with the diffusion rate constant (D) increasing from of 1.7 to 5.1 μg/mg matrix/day0.5 as the drug loading increased from 1.4% to 8.3% w/w. GS-loaded PCL matrices retained anti-bacterial activity after immersion in PBS at 37°C over 14 days as demonstrated by inhibition of growth of S. epidermidis in culture. These findings recommend further investigation of precipitation-cast PCL matrices for delivery of hydrophilic molecules such as anti-bacterial agents from implanted, inserted or topical devices. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of erbium-doped actively Q-switched fiber laser implemented in symmetric configuration

We report the results of an experimental study aimed at improving the performance of actively Q-switched fiber lasers. Unlike generic design schemes employing photonic crystal fibers, largemodal diameter fibers or double-clad fibers, we demonstrate a high-power, actively Q-switched laser based on standard com- munication erbium doped fibers with peak irradiance beyond the state-of-the-art at 3.1 GW/cm2 . The laser had 2.2 kW peak power, 15.5 ns pulse duration and 36.8 µJ pulse energy. We have also investigated the dynamics of pulse generation and have success- fully suppressed pulse instabilities caused by backscattered laser emission reaching the pump laser diodes.

Numerical implementation of low-PMD spun fibres with precomputed M(w) matrices

Poster With the use of the coarse-step method for simulating the phenomenon of PMD the fibre-twist as not included into the equations. This was an obstacle in representing low-PMD spun fibres numerially.

Typical performance of regular low-density parity-check codes over general symmetric channels

Typical performance of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes over a general binary-input output-symmetric memoryless channel is investigated using methods of statistical mechanics. Relationship between the free energy in statistical-mechanics approach and the mutual information used in the information-theory literature is established within a general framework; Gallager and MacKay-Neal codes are studied as specific examples of LDPC codes. It is shown that basic properties of these codes known for particular channels, including their potential to saturate Shannon's bound, hold for general symmetric channels. The binary-input additive-white-Gaussian-noise channel and the binary-input Laplace channel are considered as specific channel models.

Parallel Class Intersection Matrices of Orthogonal Resolutions

This work was partially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund under Contract No MM 1405. Part of the results were announced at the Fifth International Workshop on Optimal Codes and Related Topics (OCRT), White Lagoon, June 2007, Bulgaria

Primitive Ideals and Symplectic Leaves of Quantum Matrices

It is proved that there exists a bijection between the primitive ideals of the algebra of regular functions on quantum m × n-matrices and the symplectic leaves of associated Poisson structure.

On a New Approach to Williamson's Generalization of Pólya's Enumeration Theorem

Pólya’s fundamental enumeration theorem and some results from Williamson’s generalized setup of it are proved in terms of Schur- Macdonald’s theory (S-MT) of “invariant matrices”. Given a permutation group W ≤ Sd and a one-dimensional character χ of W , the polynomial functor Fχ corresponding via S-MT to the induced monomial representation Uχ = ind|Sdv/W (χ) of Sd , is studied. It turns out that the characteristic ch(Fχ ) is the weighted inventory of some set J(χ) of W -orbits in the integer-valued hypercube [0, ∞)d . The elements of J(χ) can be distinguished among all W -orbits by a maximum property. The identity ch(Fχ ) = ch(Uχ ) of both characteristics is a consequence of S-MT, and is equivalent to a result of Williamson. Pólya’s theorem can be obtained from the above identity by the specialization χ = 1W , where 1W is the unit character of W.

Exponents of Subvarieties of Upper Triangular Matrices over Arbitrary Fields are Integral

Partially supported by grant RFFI 98-01-01020.

New Symmetric (61,16,4) Designs Invariant Under the Dihedral Group of Order 10

∗ This work has been partially supported by the Bulgarian NSF under Contract No. I-506/1995.

On a Five-Diagonal Jacobi Matrices and Orthogonal Polynomials on Rays in the Complex Plane

∗ Partially supported by Grant MM-428/94 of MESC.

Symplectic Representation of a Braid Group on 3-Sheeted Covers of the Riemann Sphere

We define Picard cycles on each smooth three-sheeted Galois cover C of the Riemann sphere. The moduli space of all these algebraic curves is a nice Shimura surface, namely a symmetric quotient of the projective plane uniformized by the complex two-dimensional unit ball. We show that all Picard cycles on C form a simple orbit of the Picard modular group of Eisenstein numbers. The proof uses a special surface classification in connection with the uniformization of a classical Picard-Fuchs system. It yields an explicit symplectic representation of the braid groups (coloured or not) of four strings.

Fermat's Equation in Matrices

The Fermat equation is solved in integral two by two matrices of determinant one as well as in finite order integral three by three matrices.