This authored monograph presents key aspects of signal processing analysis in the biomedical arena. Unlike wireless communication systems, biological entities produce signals with underlying nonlinear, chaotic nature that elude classification using the standard signal processing techniques, which have been developed over the past several decades for dealing primarily with standard communication systems. This book separates what is random from that which appears to be random and yet is truly deterministic with random appearance. At its core, this work gives the reader a perspective on biomedical signals and the means to classify and process such signals. In particular, a review of random processes along with means to assess the behavior of random signals is also provided. The book also includes a general discussion of biological signals in order to demonstrate the inefficacy of the well-known techniques to correctly extract meaningful information from such signals. Finally, a thorough discussion of recently proposed signal processing tools and methods for addressing biological signals is included. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and expert practitioners but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

In this book, Barbara Ellison and Thomas B. W. Bailey lay out and explore the mystifying and evanescent musical territory of 'sonic phantoms': auditory illusions within the musical material that convey a 'phantasmatic' presence. Structured around a large body of compositional work developed by Ellison over the past decade, sonic phantoms are revealed and illustrated as they arise through a diverse array of musical sources, materials, techniques, and compositional tools: voices (real and synthetic), field recordings, instrument manipulation, object amplification, improvisation, and recording studio techniques. Somehow inherent in all music--and perhaps in all sound--sonic phantoms lurk and stalk with the promise of mystery and elevation. We just need to conjure them.

This book treats the topic of extending the adaptive filtering theory in the context of massive multichannel systems by taking into account a priori knowledge of the underlying system or signal. The starting point is exploiting the sparseness in acoustic multichannel system in order to solve the non-uniqueness problem with an efficient algorithm for adaptive filtering that does not require any modification of the loudspeaker signals. The book discusses in detail the derivation of general sparse representations of acoustic MIMO systems in signal or system dependent transform domains. Efficient adaptive filtering algorithms in the transform domains are presented and the relation between the signal- and the system-based sparse representations is emphasized. Furthermore, the book presents a novel approach to spatially preprocess the loudspeaker signals in a full-duplex communication system. The idea of the preprocessing is to prevent the echoes from being captured by the microphone array in order to support the AEC system. The preprocessing stage is given as an exemplarily application of a novel unified framework for the synthesis of sound figures. Finally, a multichannel system for the acoustic echo suppression is presented that can be used as a postprocessing stage for removing residual echoes. As first of its kind, it extracts the near-end signal from the microphone signal with a distortionless constraint and without requiring a double-talk detector.

Computational aeroacoustics (CAA) is a relatively new research area. CAA algorithms have developed rapidly and the methods have been applied in many areas of aeroacoustics. The objective of CAA is not simply to develop computational methods but also to use these methods to solve practical aeroacoustics problems and to perform numerical simulation of aeroacoustic phenomena. By analysing the simulation data, an investigator can determine noise generation mechanisms and sound propagation processes. This is both a textbook for graduate students and a reference for researchers in CAA and as such is self-contained. No prior knowledge of numerical methods for solving partial differential equations (PDEs) is needed, however, a general understanding of partial differential equations and basic numerical analysis is assumed. Exercises are included and are designed to be an integral part of the chapter content. In addition, sample computer programs are included to illustrate the implementation of the numerical algorithms.

This contributed volume summarizes recent theoretical developments in plasmonics and its applications in physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, and medicine. It focuses on recent advances in several major areas of plasmonics including plasmon-enhanced spectroscopies, light scattering, many-body effects, nonlinear optics, and ultrafast dynamics. The theoretical and computational methods used in these investigations include electromagnetic calculations, density functional theory calculations, and nonequilibrium electron dynamics calculations. The book presents a comprehensive overview of these methods as well as their applications to various current problems of interest.

This book reviews a variety of methods for wave-based acoustic simulation and recent applications to architectural and environmental acoustic problems. Following an introduction providing an overview of computational simulation of sound environment, the book is in two parts: four chapters on methods and four chapters on applications. The first part explains the fundamentals and advanced techniques for three popular methods, namely, the finite-difference time-domain method, the finite element method, and the boundary element method, as well as alternative time-domain methods. The second part demonstrates various applications to room acoustics simulation, noise propagation simulation, acoustic property simulation for building components, and auralization. This book is a valuable reference that covers the state of the art in computational simulation for architectural and environmental acoustics.

The book offers an original view on channel coding, based on a unitary approach to block and convolutional codes for error correction. It presents both new concepts and new families of codes. For example, lengthened and modified lengthened cyclic codes are introduced as a bridge towards time-invariant convolutional codes and their extension to time-varying versions. The novel families of codes include turbo codes and low-density parity check (LDPC) codes, the features of which are justified from the structural properties of the component codes. Design procedures for regular LDPC codes are proposed, supported by the presented theory. Quasi-cyclic LDPC codes, in block or convolutional form, represent one of the most original contributions of the book. The use of more than 100 examples allows the reader gradually to gain an understanding of the theory, and the provision of a list of more than 150 definitions, indexed at the end of the book, permits rapid location of sought information.

This volume offers a guide to the state of the art in the fast evolving field of biometric recognition to newcomers and experienced practitioners. It is focused on the emerging strategies to perform biometric recognition under uncontrolled data acquisition conditions. The mainstream research work in this field is presented in an organized manner, so the reader can easily follow the trends that best suits her/his interests in this growing field. The book chapters cover the recent advances in less controlled / covert data acquisition frameworks, segmentation of poor quality biometric data, biometric data quality assessment, normalization of poor quality biometric data. contactless biometric recognition strategies, biometric recognition robustness, data resolution, illumination, distance, pose, motion, occlusions, multispectral biometric recognition, multimodal biometrics, fusion at different levels, high confidence automatic surveillance.

Advanced Technologies in Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks collects selected papers from the 7th China Conference on Wireless Sensor Networks (CWSN2013) held in Qingdao, October 17-19, 2013. The book features state-of-the-art studies on Sensor Networks in China with the theme of “Advances in wireless sensor networks of China�. The selected works can help promote development of sensor network technology towards interconnectivity, resource sharing, flexibility and high efficiency. Researchers and engineers in the field of sensor networks can benefit from the book. Xue Wang is a professor at Tsinghua University; Li Cui is a professor at Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Zhongwen Guo is a professor at Ocean University of China.

This book introduces a novel transcoding algorithm for real time video applications, designed to overcome inter-operability problems between MPEG-2 to H.264/AVC. The new algorithm achieves 92.8% reduction in the transcoding run time at a price of an acceptable Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) degradation, enabling readers to use it for real time video applications. The algorithm described is evaluated through simulation and experimental results. In addition, the authors present a hardware implementation of the new algorithm using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Application-specific standard products (ASIC). • Describes a novel transcoding algorithm for real time video applications, designed to overcome inter-operability problems between H.264/AVC to MPEG-2; • Implements algorithm presented using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Application-specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); • Demonstrates the solution to real problems, with verification through simulation and experimental results.

The book discusses intelligent system design using soft computing and similar systems and their interdisciplinary applications. It also focuses on the recent trends to use soft computing as a versatile tool for designing a host of decision support systems.

The goal of this volume is to summarize the state-of-the-art in the utilization of computer vision techniques in the diagnosis of skin cancer. Malignant melanoma is one of the most rapidly increasing cancers in the world. Early diagnosis is particularly important since melanoma can be cured with a simple excision if detected early. In recent years, dermoscopy has proved valuable in visualizing the morphological structures in pigmented lesions. However, it has also been shown that dermoscopy is difficult to learn and subjective. Newer technologies such as infrared imaging, multispectral imaging, and confocal microscopy, have recently come to the forefront in providing greater diagnostic accuracy. These imaging technologies presented in this book can serve as an adjunct to physicians and  provide automated skin cancer screening. Although computerized techniques cannot as yet provide a definitive diagnosis, they can be used to improve biopsy decision-making as well as early melanoma detection, especially for patients with multiple atypical nevi.

About the book: This book is the first comprehensive review on acoustic metamaterials; novel materials which can manipulate sound waves in surprising ways, which include collimation, focusing, cloaking, sonic screening and extraordinary transmission. It covers both experimental and theoretical aspects of acoustic and elastic waves propagating in structured composites, with a focus on effective properties associated with negative refraction, lensing and cloaking. Most related books in the field address electromagnetic metamaterials and focus on numerical methods, and little (or no) experimental section. Each chapter will be authored by an acknowledged expert, amongst the topics covered will be experimental results on non-destructive imaging, cloaking by surface water waves, flexural waves in thin plates. Applications in medical ultrasound imaging and modeling of metamaterials will be emphasized too. The book can serve as a reference for researchers who wish to build a solid foundation of wave propagation in this class of novel materials.

Andreas Hazir is investigating the door seal contribution to the interior noise level of production vehicles. These investigations contain experimental contribution analyses of real production vehicles and of academic test cases as well as the development of a simulation methodology for noise transmission through sealing systems and side windows. The simulations are realized by coupling transient computational aeroacoustics of the exterior flow to nonlinear finite element simulations of the structural transmission. By introducing a linear transmission model, the setup and computational costs of the seal noise transmission are significantly reduced, resulting in the feasibility of numerical contribution analyses of real production vehicles.

In this book, speech transmission quality is modeled on the basis of perceptual dimensions. The author identifies those dimensions that are relevant for today's public-switched and packet-based telecommunication systems, regarding the complete transmission path from the mouth of the speaker to the ear of the listener. Both narrowband (300-3400 Hz) as well as wideband (50-7000 Hz) speech transmission is taken into account. A new analytical assessment method is presented that allows the dimensions to be rated by non-expert listeners in a direct way. Due to the efficiency of the test method, a relatively large number of stimuli can be assessed in auditory tests. The test method is applied in two auditory experiments. The book gives the evidence that this test method provides meaningful and reliable results. The resulting dimension scores together with respective overall quality ratings form the basis for a new parametric model for the quality estimation of transmitted speech based on the perceptual dimensions. In a two-step model approach, instrumental dimension models estimate dimension impairment factors in a first step. The resulting dimension estimates are combined by a Euclidean integration function in a second step in order to provide an estimate of the total impairment.

This book explores the design of ultra wideband (UWB) technology for wireless body-area networks (WBAN).  The authors describe a novel implementation of WBAN sensor nodes that use UWB for data transmission and narrow band for data reception, enabling low power sensor nodes, with high data rate capability.  The discussion also includes power efficient, medium access control (MAC) protocol design for UWB based WBAN applications and the authors present a MAC protocol in which a guaranteed delivery mechanism is utilized to transfer data with high priority.  Readers will also benefit from this book’s feasibility analysis of the UWB technology for human implant applications through the study of electromagnetic and thermal power absorption of human tissue that is exposed to UWB signals.  

Aerodynamic Noise extensively covers the theoretical basis and mathematical modeling of sound, especially the undesirable sounds produced by aircraft. This noise could come from an aircraft's engine-propellers, fans, combustion chamber, jets-or the vehicle itself-external surfaces-or from sonic booms. The majority of the sound produced is due to the motion of air and its interaction with solid boundaries, and this is the main discussion of the book. With problem sets at the end of each chapter, Aerodynamic Noise is ideal for graduate students of mechanical and aerospace engineering. It may also be useful for designers of cars, trains, and wind turbines.

Microphone arrays have attracted a lot of interest over the last few decades since they have the potential to solve many important problems such as noise reduction/speech enhancement, source separation, dereverberation, spatial sound recording, and source localization/tracking, to name a few. However, the design and implementation of microphone arrays with beamforming algorithms is not a trivial task when it comes to processing broadband signals such as speech. Indeed, in most sensor arrangements, the beamformer output tends to have a frequency-dependent response. One exception, perhaps, is the family of differential microphone arrays (DMAs) who have the promise to form frequency-independent responses. Moreover, they have the potential to attain high directional gains with small and compact apertures. As a result, this type of microphone arrays has drawn much research and development attention recently. This book is intended to provide a systematic study of DMAs from a signal processing perspective. The primary objective is to develop a rigorous but yet simple theory for the design, implementation, and performance analysis of DMAs. The theory includes some signal processing techniques for the design of commonly used first-order, second-order, third-order, and also the general Nth-order DMAs. For each order, particular examples are given on how to form standard directional patterns such as the dipole, cardioid, supercardioid, hypercardioid, subcardioid, and quadrupole. The study demonstrates the performance of the different order DMAs in terms of beampattern, directivity factor, white noise gain, and gain for point sources. The inherent relationship between differential processing and adaptive beamforming is discussed, which provides a better understanding of DMAs and why they can achieve high directional gain. Finally, we show how to design DMAs that can be robust against white noise amplification.

During the last decades, the growth of micro-electronics has reduced the cost of computing power to a level acceptable to industry and has made possible sophisticated control strategies suitable for many applications. Vibration c- trol is applied to all kinds of engineering systems to obtain the desired dynamic behavior, improved accuracy and increased reliability during operation. In this context, one can think of applications related to the control of structures' vib- tion isolation, control of vehicle dynamics, noise control, control of machines and mechanisms and control of ?uid-structure-interaction. One could continue with this list for a long time. Research in the ?eld of vibration control is extremely comprehensive. Pr- lems that are typical for vibration control of nonlinear mechanisms and str- tures arise in the ?elds of modeling systems in such a way that the model is suitable for control design, to choose appropriate actuator and sensor locations and to select the actuators and sensors. Theobjective of the Symposium was to present anddiscuss methodsthat contribute to thesolution of such problems and to demonstrate the state of the art inthe ?eld shown by typical examples. The intention was to evaluate the limits of performance that can beachievedby controlling the dynamics, and to point out gaps in present research and give links for areas offuture research.Mainly, it brought together leading experts from quite different areas presenting theirpoints of view.

This book reports on the application of advanced models of the human binaural hearing system in modern technology, among others, in the following areas: binaural analysis of aural scenes, binaural de-reverberation, binaural quality assessment of audio channels, loudspeakers and performance spaces, binaural perceptual coding, binaural processing in hearing aids and cochlea implants, binaural systems in robots, binaural/tactile human-machine interfaces, speech-intelligibility prediction in rooms and/or multi-speaker scenarios. An introduction to binaural modeling and an outlook to the future are provided. Further, the book features a MATLAB toolbox to enable readers to construct their own dedicated binaural models on demand.

Blauert's and Xiang's "Acoustics for Engineers" provides the material for an introductory course in engineering acoustics for students with basic knowledge in mathematics. In the second, enlarged edition, the teaching aspects of the book have been substantially improved. Carefully selected examples illustrate the application of acoustic principles and problems are provided for training. "Acoustics for Engineers" is designed for extensive teaching at the university level. Under the guidance of an academic teacher it is sufficient as the sole textbook for the subject. Each chapter deals with a well defined topic and represents the material for a two-hour lecture. The 15 chapters alternate between more theoretical and more application-oriented concepts.

This comprehensive book presents all aspects of acoustic metamaterials and phononic crystals. The emphasis is on acoustic wave propagation phenomena at interfaces such as refraction, especially unusual refractive properties and negative refraction. A thorough discussion of the mechanisms leading to such refractive phenomena includes local resonances in metamaterials and scattering in phononic crystals.

The author gives a comprehensive overview of materials and components for noise control and acoustical comfort. Sound absorbers must meet acoustical and architectural requirements, which fibrous or porous material alone can meet. Basics and applications are demonstrated, with representative examples for spatial acoustics, free-field test facilities and canal linings. Acoustic engineers and construction professionals will find some new basic concepts and tools for developments in order to improve acoustical comfort. Interference absorbers, active resonators and micro-perforated absorbers of different materials and designs complete the list of applications.

Rhythm and Transforms is a book that explores rhythm in music, its structure and how we perceive it. The book will be bought by engineers interested in acoustic signal processing as well as musicians, composers and computer scientists. Anyone interested in the scientific basis of music from psychologists to the designers of electronic musical instruments will be interested in this book.

This book presents the theory of room acoustical fields and revises the Mirror Source Methods for practical computational use, emphasizing the wave character of acoustical fields. The presented higher methods include the concepts of "Mirror Point Sources" and "Corner sources which allow for an excellent approximation of complex room geometries and even equipped rooms. In contrast to classical description, this book extends the theory of sound fields describing them by their complex sound pressure and the particle velocity. This approach enables accurate descriptions of interference and absorption phenomena.