In the latest development in the field of telecommunications it has been observed that a lot is expected from the mobile systems. All kinds of communication standards such as Bluetooth, 3G, W-LAN etc. should be present in the same handset. This requires higher data transmission rates and low bit error probability. One of the major problems in achieving this is fading and multi path environment. The other problem is the growing trend of decreasing size of the electronic devices specially handsets. The handsets are getting smaller and thinner. Due to this the antennas in the device come very close to each other which causes high coupling between the antennas resulting in bad diversity gain. Antenna diversity is considered to be one of easier solution to overcome these problems. This thesis presents an implementation of receiver antenna diversity and suggests different optimised networks between the antenna ports for better diversity gain keeping in view the antenna efficiencies. The thesis involves the following steps: simulating the structures, suggesting different networks between the two antenna ports, optimisation and hardware implementation of the networks and finally measurements in reverberation chamber.

Recently, the long-wavelength band (L-band, 1570-1600 nm) erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) has received much attention. By combining the gain bandwidth of a conventional C-band EDFA and L-band EDFA in parallel, the available gain bandwidth can be increased by a factor of two. The change in the input power and the number of channels leads to the variation of the channel output power, which, in turn, changes the gain spectrum and flatness. To cope with this problem, the gain-clamped (GC) technique has been proposed. The gain-clamping techniques have been extensively explored for C-band EDFAs, but fewer for L-band EDFAs. In this thesis, we experimentally investigate an optically gain-clamped L-band EDFA with different lasing lights (1568 nm and 1600 nm) and different loop attenuation. The characteristics of such L-band GC-EDFAs measured in a simulated add-drop operation are examined and compared. We find that the 1568-nm lasing light with 0-dB loop attenuation is the better selection for L-band GC-EDFA to offer good channel gain (19.4 dB) and satisfied noise figure characteristics. Compared to the gain variation observed for GC-EDFA with an open loop, the GC-EDFA was effective in reducing the total gain variation of 17 dB and increasing the dynamic range of 25 dB.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. / Prepared for: Dept. of Psychology. Title from title-page of electronic thesis. Bibliography: leaves 88-99. Available online via the Internet.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--York University, 2000. Graduate Programme in Kinesiology and Health Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 16-23). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ59170.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine weight and lifestyle among persons with schizophrenia from their perspectives. Two specific research questions are addressed: 1: What are the perceptions of persons with schizophrenia related to their weight? 2: What are the experiences of persons with schizophrenia in maintaining a healthy lifestyle? Methods A qualitative, constructivist research design is used to guide the study. Unstructured interviews are the method of data collection and analysis is done using constant comparison. A purposive sample of 18 participants was obtained from an Outpatient Psychiatric Unit. Findings Three themes, Normal Life Thrown a Curve Ball, Weight Management as Complex, and Today’s Experiences Shape Tomorrow’s Outcomes, were identified by the participants. Weight management was seen as a complex and difficult phenomenon; however, participants were optimistic about their ability to achieve a healthy weight in the future. Individual strategies, support and education were identified as essential weight management components. Conclusions The perceptions identified in this study further our understanding of the complexity of weight management, and can be used to design future weight loss interventions better tailored to this population. / Thesis (Master, Nursing) -- Queen's University, 2009-05-05 14:46:05.704

The strength development of young masonry mortar and prism is studied through measuring the electrical properties of hydrating mortar by using TWIN-tape capacitance sensor. The dielectric properties over the frequency range of 10 kHz to10 MHz varies during hydration of mortar, providing a means for monitoring the strength development. This investigation confirms that the lower frequencies (less than 100 kHz) are very efficient in monitoring hydration of mortar. In addition, wireless sensing electronics is employed to monitor the strength gain process of young masonry prisms. Moreover, the freezing and thawing temperatures of masonry mortar and prism are identified by using three different techniques. Furthermore, the strength gain process of mortar is investigated at cold ambient temperatures, i.e. ambient temperature below 5ºC, by using dielectric measurements. This investigation reveals that the mortar gains strength at temperatures as low as 0ºC, whereas it partially freezes at -1º c and completely freezes at -2ºC.

This thesis contributes to the realisation of plasmonic lasers based on plasmon polariton Bragg gratings. The scope of this thesis is twofold. In the first section, entitled Passive plasmonic Bragg grating characterization, the results of the testing and characterization of a new design of plasmonic Bragg gratings in the near-infrared are presented. The reflection and transmission responses expected from plasmon-polariton Bragg gratings (PPBGs) are treated theoretically using the transfer matrix method (TMM) and the numerical model is validated experimentally. The experimental setup and procedures are then described in detail. Results show that the near-infrared plasmon polariton Bragg gratings possess a Bragg reflection at a wavelength close to the Bragg wavelength predicted by TMM. In the second section, Gain optimisation and bleaching of IR-140 doped PMMA, an in-depth analysis of the gain medium (IR-140 dye doped poly(methyl methacrylate) better known as PMMA) is performed. This gain medium was selected as a gain layer for active plasmonic gratings and distributed feedback lasers designed by a colleague Ph.D. candidate. The optimized molecular weight of IR-140 in PMMA was found to be 0.9% to obtain a material gain of 81 cm-1.

The  aim  of  the  current  study  was  to investigate  if  Openness  –  to  –  Experience  and  Neuroticism  personality  traits  are associated with curiosity. This will help us to estimate whether knowledge expansion is dependent on a person’s personality and which trait is more willing to invest time on learning.  The  experiment  consisted  of  two  different  sessions.  To estimate  curiosity, 40 subjects first performed a word-synonymy task, where Shannon’s (1948) entropy was estimated  and the result of which lead to the measurement  of uncertainty.  Then in a second session, participants had the option to request for feedback between a few alternative  options  at  a  cost  (time),  and  they  were  also  required  to  estimate  their satisfaction  about  the  answer  on  a  valence  rating  scale.  Finally, participants  were screened  for  personality  traits.  Neurotic  individuals  appeared  to  be  more  willing  in investing time on feedback request, in contrast to open individuals.

No description available.

Measurement studies have linked paraspinal muscle reflexes to low back pain. However, the role of reflexes in stabilizing the spine is not clear. Previous studies enlisted biomechanical models to aid in understanding of how intrinsic stiffness stabilizes the spine. This work expands these previous studies by modeling the neuromuscular dynamic control of the spine. The presence of delay in the reflexive system limits the availability of traditional stability analyses. However it is possible to investigate how reflex delay affects stability of the spine model using methods in linear time delayed stability. Such analyses find the maximum reflex delay, i.e., the delay margin for which stability is possible. Therefore a biomechanical model of the spine was developed that used these methods for stability. The model was able to demonstrate how reflex gains and delays affect stability. It was shown that increased proportional reflex gain reduced the amount of co-contraction required for stability. However, increased reflex gain required a reduced delay margin of the system. Differential reflex gain had no effect on the amount of co-contraction required for stability. However, it was shown to increase the delay margin for small gains. As the differential reflex gain approached the magnitude of intrinsic muscle damping the trend was reversed, and increased gain caused the delay margin to approach zero. Increased intrinsic muscle damping did not affect the minimum co-contraction required for stability, but was shown to increase the delay margin in all cases. This study provided a theoretical explanation for the role of reflexes in stabilizing the spine. Results agree with the trends in the published literature regarding patients with low-back pain. Specifically, these patients demonstrate abnormally larger reflex delay. To maintain stability, atypically small reflex gain is necessary. Compensatory co-contraction is required to offset the small reflex gain. Co-contraction and instability is observed in low back pain patients. The results presented here agree with measurement studies, and should aid in the development of hypotheses for future measurement studies. / Master of Science