The propagation of light in 'dense media' where dipole-dipole interactions play a role is a fundamental topic that was first studied in the work of Clausius, Mossotti, Lorenz and Lorentz in the latter half of the nineteenth century. However, until recently there remained some areas of controversy: for example, whereas the Lorentz model for a gas predicts a resonance shift, a discrete dipole model does not. This thesis makes the first combined measurement of both the Lorentz shift and the associated collective Lamb shift. This clear experimental result stimulated new theoretical work that has significantly advanced our understanding of light propagation in interacting media.

This work is motivated by the ongoing open question of how information in the outside world is represented and processed by the brain. Consequently, several novel methods are developed. A new mathematical formulation is proposed for the encoding and decoding of analog signals using integrate-and-fire neuron models. Based on this formulation, a novel algorithm, significantly faster than the state-of-the-art method, is proposed for reconstructing the input of the neuron. Two new identification methods are proposed for neural circuits comprising a filter in series with a spiking neuron model. These methods reduce the number of assumptions made by the state-of-the-art identification framework, allowing for a wider range of models of sensory processing circuits to be inferred directly from input-output observations. A third contribution is an algorithm that computes the spike time sequence generated by an integrate-and-fire neuron model in response to the output of a linear filter, given the input of the filter encoded with the same neuron model.

This book provides fresh insights into the cutting edge of multimedia data mining, reflecting how the research focus has shifted towards networked social communities, mobile devices and sensors. The work describes how the history of multimedia data processing can be viewed as a sequence of disruptive innovations. Across the chapters, the discussion covers the practical frameworks, libraries, and open source software that enable the development of ground-breaking research into practical applications. Features: reviews how innovations in mobile, social, cognitive, cloud and organic based computing impacts upon the development of multimedia data mining; provides practical details on implementing the technology for solving real-world problems; includes chapters devoted to privacy issues in multimedia social environments and large-scale biometric data processing; covers content and concept based multimedia search and advanced algorithms for multimedia data representation, processing and visualization.

This book highlights recent research advances in unsupervised learning using natural computing techniques such as artificial neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, swarm intelligence, artificial immune systems, artificial life, quantum computing, DNA computing, and others. The book also includes information on the use of natural computing techniques for unsupervised learning tasks. It features several trending topics, such as big data scalability, wireless network analysis, engineering optimization, social media, and complex network analytics. It shows how these applications have triggered a number of new natural computing techniques to improve the performance of unsupervised learning methods. With this book, the readers can easily capture new advances in this area with systematic understanding of the scope in depth. Readers can rapidly explore new methods and new applications at the junction between natural computing and unsupervised learning. Includes advances on unsupervised learning using natural computing techniques Reports on topics in emerging areas such as evolutionary multi-objective unsupervised learning Features natural computing techniques such as evolutionary multi-objective algorithms and many-objective swarm intelligence algorithms

X-ray computed tomography has been used for several decades as a tool for measuring the three-dimensional geometry of the internal organs in medicine. However, in recent years, we have seen a move in manufacturing industries for the use of X-ray computed tomography; first to give qualitative information about the internal geometry and defects in a component, and more recently, as a fully-quantitative technique for dimensional and materials analysis. This trend is primarily due to the ability of X-ray computed tomography to give a high-density and multi-scale representation of both the external and internal geometry of a component, in a non-destructive, non-contact and relatively fast way. But, due to the complexity of X-ray computed tomography, there are remaining metrological issues to solve and the specification standards are still under development. This book will act as a one-stop-shop resource for students and users of X-ray computed tomography in both academia and industry. It presents the fundamental principles of the technique, detailed descriptions of the various components (hardware and software), current developments in calibration and performance verification and a wealth of example applications. The book will also highlight where there is still work to do, in the perspective that X-ray computed tomography will be an essential part of Industry 4.0.

This book investigates the functional adequacy as well as the affective impression made by feedback messages on mobile devices. It presents an easily adoptable experimental setup to examine context effects on various feedback messages and applies it to auditory, tactile and auditory-tactile feedback messages. This approach provides insights into the relationship between the affective impression and functional applicability of these messages as well as an understanding of the influence of unimodal components on the perception of multimodal feedback messages. The developed paradigm can also be extended to investigate other aspects of context and used to investigate feedback messages in modalities other than those presented. The book uses questionnaires implemented on a Smartphone, which can easily be adopted for field studies to broaden the scope even wider. Finally, the book offers guidelines for the design of system feedback.

The Proceedings of The Third International Conference on Communications, Signal Processing and Systems provides the state-of-art developments of Communications, Signal Processing and Systems. The conference covered such topics as wireless communications, networks, systems, signal processing for communications. This book is a collection of contributions coming out of Third International Conference on Communications, Signal Processing and Systems held on July 2014 in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.

This book focuses on a research field that is rapidly emerging as one of the most promising ones for the global optics and photonics community: the "lab-on-fiber" technology. Inspired by the well-established "lab on-a-chip" concept, this new technology essentially envisages novel and highly functionalized devices completely integrated into a single optical fiber for both communication and sensing applications. Based on the R&D experience of some of the world's leading authorities in the fields of optics, photonics, nanotechnology, and material science, this book provides a broad and accurate description of the main developments and achievements in the lab-on-fiber technology roadmap, also highlighting the new perspectives and challenges to be faced. This book is essential for scientists interested in the cutting-edge fiber optic technology, but also for graduate students.

In this book, contributors provide insights into the latest developments of Edge Computing/Mobile Edge Computing, specifically in terms of communication protocols and related applications and architectures. The book provides help to Edge service providers, Edge service consumers, and Edge service developers interested in getting the latest knowledge in the area. The book includes relevant Edge Computing topics such as applications; architecture; services; inter-operability; data analytics; deployment and service; resource management; simulation and modeling; and security and privacy. Targeted readers include those from varying disciplines who are interested in designing and deploying Edge Computing. Features the latest research related to Edge Computing, from a variety of perspectives; Tackles Edge Computing in academia and industry, featuring a variety of new and innovative operational ideas; Provides a strong foundation for researchers to advance further in the Edge Computing domain.

This thesis provides a thorough noise analysis for conventional CIS readout chains, while also presenting and discussing a variety of noise reduction techniques that allow the read noise in standard processes to be optimized. Two physical implementations featuring sub-0.5-electron RMS are subsequently presented to verify the proposed noise reduction techniques and provide a full characterization of a VGA imager. Based on the verified noise calculation, the impact of the technology downscaling on the input-referred noise is also studied. Further, the thesis covers THz CMOS image sensors and presents an original design that achieves ultra-low-noise performance. Last but not least, it provides a comprehensive review of CMOS image sensors.

The book covers the most crucial parts of real-time hyperspectral image processing: causality and real-time capability. Recently, two new concepts of real time hyperspectral image processing, Progressive HyperSpectral Imaging (PHSI) and Recursive HyperSpectral Imaging (RHSI). Both of these can be used to design algorithms and also form an integral part of real time hyperpsectral image processing. This book focuses on progressive nature in algorithms on their real-time and causal processing implementation in two major applications, endmember finding and anomaly detection, both of which are fundamental tasks in hyperspectral imaging but generally not encountered in multispectral imaging. This book is written to particularly address PHSI in real time processing, while a book, Recursive Hyperspectral Sample and Band Processing: Algorithm Architecture and Implementation (Springer 2016) can be considered as its companion book.

This book presents a unique approach to stream data mining. Unlike the vast majority of previous approaches, which are largely based on heuristics, it highlights methods and algorithms that are mathematically justified. First, it describes how to adapt static decision trees to accommodate data streams; in this regard, new splitting criteria are developed to guarantee that they are asymptotically equivalent to the classical batch tree. Moreover, new decision trees are designed, leading to the original concept of hybrid trees. In turn, nonparametric techniques based on Parzen kernels and orthogonal series are employed to address concept drift in the problem of non-stationary regressions and classification in a time-varying environment. Lastly, an extremely challenging problem that involves designing ensembles and automatically choosing their sizes is described and solved. Given its scope, the book is intended for a professional audience of researchers and practitioners who deal with stream data, e.g. in telecommunication, banking, and sensor networks.

This book offers readers a single-source reference to the implementation aspects of multirate systems, advances in design of comb decimation filters and multirate filter banks. The authors describe a variety of the most recent applications in fields such as, image and video processing, digital communications, software and cognitive radio.

This book gathers the proceedings of the Multidisciplinary International Conference of Research Applied to Defense and Security (MICRADS), held at the Military Engineering Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 8 to 10th May 2019. It covers a variety of topics in systems, communication and defense; strategy and political-administrative vision in defense; and engineering and technologies applied to defense. Given its scope, it offers a valuable resource for practitioners, researchers, and students alike.

This thesis introduces a figure of merit for light trapping with photonic nanostructures and shows how different light trapping methods compare, irrespective of material, absorber thickness or type of nanostructure. It provides an overview of the essential aspects of light trapping, offering a solid basis for future designs. Light trapping with photonic nanostructures is a powerful method of increasing the absorption in thin film solar cells. Many light trapping methods have been studied, but to date there has been no comprehensive figure of merit to compare these different methods quantitatively. This comparison allows us to establish important design rules for highly performing structures; one such rule is the structuring of the absorber layer from both sides, for which the authors introduce a novel and simple layer-transfer technique. A closely related issue is the question of plasmonic vs. dielectric nanostructures; the authors present an experimental demonstration, aided by a detailed theoretical assessment, highlighting the importance of considering the multipass nature of light trapping in a thin film, which is an essential effect that has been neglected in previous work and which allows us to quantify the parasitic losses.

This book provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the art of optical signal processing technologies and devices. It presents breakthrough solutions for enabling a pervasive use of optics in data communication and signal storage applications. It presents presents optical signal processing as solution to overcome the capacity crunch in communication networks. The book content ranges from the development of innovative materials and devices, such as graphene and slow light structures, to the use of nonlinear optics for secure quantum information processing and overcoming the classical Shannon limit on channel capacity and microwave signal processing. Although it holds the promise for a substantial speed improvement, today's communication infrastructure optics remains largely confined to the signal transport layer, as it lags behind electronics as far as signal processing is concerned. This situation will change in the near future as the tremendous growth of data traffic requires energy efficient and fully transparent all-optical networks. The book is written by leaders in the field.

This book focuses on how machine learning techniques can be used to analyze and make use of one particular category of behavioral biometrics known as the gait biometric. A comprehensive Ground Reaction Force (GRF)-based Gait Biometrics Recognition framework is proposed and validated by experiments. In addition, an in-depth analysis of existing recognition techniques that are best suited for performing footstep GRF-based person recognition is also proposed, as well as a comparison of feature extractors, normalizers, and classifiers configurations that were never directly compared with one another in any previous GRF recognition research. Finally, a detailed theoretical overview of many existing machine learning techniques is presented, leading to a proposal of two novel data processing techniques developed specifically for the purpose of gait biometric recognition using GRF. This book * introduces novel machine-learning-based temporal normalization techniques * bridges research gaps concerning the effect of footwear and stepping speed on footstep GRF-based person recognition * provides detailed discussions of key research challenges and open research issues in gait biometrics recognition* compares biometrics systems trained and tested with the same footwear against those trained and tested with different footwear

This book presents new and advanced concepts, theories and methodologies in polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) target scattering mechanism modeling and interpretation, which is dedicated to bridge the gap between the acquired data and practical applications. It proposes adaptive and generalized polarimetric target decompositions, to precisely interpret the target scattering mechanisms. Further, it develops a uniform polarimetric matrix rotation theory and a polarimetric coherence pattern visualization and interpretation tool to completely explore and characterize the deep information and target signatures in the rotation domain. Finally, it demonstrates land cover classification, target detection, natural disaster damage investigation and mapping applications which use the novel scattering mechanism investigation tools. The book is a valuable resource for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students, teachers, engineers and researchers in the field of microwave remote sensing, radar polarimetry, imaging radar, and environmental studies.

This textbook provides a detailed introduction to the use of software in combination with simple and economical hardware (a sound level meter with calibrated AC output and a digital recording system) to obtain sophisticated measurements usually requiring expensive equipment. It emphasizes the use of free, open source, and multiplatform software. Many commercial acoustical measurement systems use software algorithms as an integral component; however the methods are not disclosed. This book enables the reader to develop useful algorithms and provides insight into the use of digital audio editing tools to document features in the signal. Topics covered include acoustical measurement principles, in-depth critical study of uncertainty applied to acoustical measurements, digital signal processing from the basics, and metrologically-oriented spectral and statistical analysis of signals. The student will gain a deep understanding of the use of software for measurement purposes; the ability to implement software-based measurement systems; familiarity with the hardware necessary to acquire and store signals; an appreciation for the key issue of long-term preservation of signals; and a full grasp of the often neglected issue of uncertainty in acoustical measurements. Pedagogical features include in-text worked-out examples, end-of-chapter problems, a glossary of metrology terms, and extensive appendices covering statistics, proofs, additional examples, file formats, and underlying theory.

This edited book contains invited papers from renowned experts working in the field of Wearable Electronics Sensors. It includes 14 chapters describing recent advancements in the area of Wearable Sensors, Wireless Sensors and Sensor Networks, Protocols, Topologies, Instrumentation architectures, Measurement techniques, Energy harvesting and scavenging, Signal processing, Design and Prototyping. The book will be useful for engineers, scientist and post-graduate students as a reference book for their research on wearable sensors, devices and technologies which is experiencing a period of rapid growth driven by new applications such as heart rate monitors, smart watches, tracking devices and smart glasses.

This book provides developers, engineers, researchers and students with detailed knowledge about the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. HEVC is the successor to the widely successful H.264/AVC video compression standard, and it provides around twice as much compression as H.264/AVC for the same level of quality. The applications for HEVC will not only cover the space of the well-known current uses and capabilities of digital video they will also include the deployment of new services and the delivery of enhanced video quality, such as ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV) and video with higher dynamic range, wider range of representable color, and greater representation precision than what is typically found today. HEVC is the next major generation of video coding design a flexible, reliable and robust solution that will support the next decade of video applications and ease the burden of video on world-wide network traffic. This book provides a detailed explanation of the various parts of the standard, insight into how it was developed, and in-depth discussion of algorithms and architectures for its implementation."

This book describes algorithmic methods and hardware implementations that aim to help realize the promise of Compressed Sensing (CS), namely the ability to reconstruct high-dimensional signals from a properly chosen low-dimensional "portrait". The authors describe a design flow and some low-resource physical realizations of sensing systems based on CS. They highlight the pros and cons of several design choices from a pragmatic point of view, and show how a lightweight and mild but effective form of adaptation to the target signals can be the key to consistent resource saving. The basic principle of the devised design flow can be applied to almost any CS-based sensing system, including analog-to-information converters, and has been proven to fit an extremely diverse set of applications. Many practical aspects required to put a CS-based sensing system to work are also addressed, including saturation, quantization, and leakage phenomena.

This book is aimed at presenting concepts, methods and algorithms ableto cope with undersampled and limited data. One such trend that recently gained popularity and to some extent revolutionised signal processing is compressed sensing. Compressed sensing builds upon the observation that many signals in nature are nearly sparse (or compressible, as they are normally referred to) in some domain, and consequently they can be reconstructed to within high accuracy from far fewer observations than traditionally held to be necessary. Apart from compressed sensing this book contains other related approaches. Each methodology has its own formalities for dealing with such problems. As an example, in the Bayesian approach, sparseness promoting priors such as Laplace and Cauchy are normally used for penalising improbable model variables, thus promoting low complexity solutions. Compressed sensing techniques and homotopy-type solutions, such as the LASSO, utilise l1-norm penalties for obtaining sparse solutions using fewer observations than conventionally needed. The book emphasizes on the role of sparsity as a machinery for promoting low complexity representations and likewise its connections to variable selection and dimensionality reduction in various engineering problems. This book is intended for researchers, academics and practitioners with interest in various aspects and applications of sparse signal processing.