In this thesis, we use the dynamic factor model in state space, proposed by Stock and Watson (1989), to estimate the fluctuations of common factor by using lots of macroeconomic variables. Besides, with the combination of two stage dynamic factor analysis model which is proposed by Aruba et. al (2010), we want to discuss the possibility for the correlation of economic fluctuations across countries to change with different time periods. The thesis verifies the following three conclusions: First, the correlations of the economic fluctuations across countries are significant due to the regional economics. Second, the global or regional common shocks will increase the correlations of the economic fluctuations across countries. Finally, developed countries and emerging countries response differently during the Financial Tsunami from 2008 to 2009.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) developed by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is expected to be the standard of the Fourth-Generation (4G) of wireless communication system. LTE supports Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD), and both of them are based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system in downlink. OFDM systems are sensitive to timing and frequency offset. Therefore, synchronization plays an important role in OFDM systems. In this thesis, we study synchronization problems of a LTE FDD baseband receiver. Particularly, we develop a complete procedure to deal with the synchronization problems. The basic design concept and procedure are as follows: The receiver estimates and compensates the timing and frequency offset by using the repetition property of the cyclic prefix. In the meanwhile, the receiver also detects cyclic prefix mode (or the length of the cyclic prefix). After the frequency offset has been compensated, the receiver then processes cell search. To this end, we multiply each subcarrier by the synchronization sequence provided by LTE specification and transform them into time domain. We then estimate the channel energy in time domain to detect the Cell Identity (Cell ID). Using computer simulations, we verify that the designed receiver performs well.

Nowadays the technologies of communication are widely developing due to the huge requirements in the world, such as asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), and high definition television (HDTV). We are seeking for high performance and quality communication schemes. The scheme of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) catches everyone's eyes due to the advantages of the OFDM. Not only high bit rate in the long haul transmission but also reconfigurable network is the charming contention, and the penalties are reduced by the cyclic prefix which can reduce the inter-symbol interference (ISI). In this thesis, I will introduce the demand for optical fiber communications, then, interpret the motivation and the organizations in a nutshell. Next, the theoretical studies will be discussed, including mathematical formulations and basic theories of one tap equalizer, a cyclic prefix, a training symbol synchronization, and a discrete multitone (DMT) modulation. In addition, the experimental setups are successfully constructed and used for verifying the impact of one tap equalizer and the training symbol synchronization. Also, the performance of the systems are measured. Finally, the thesis is concluded.

The fast growing bandwidth has made the development of cloud storage. More and more resource has put in cloud storage. In this thesis, we proposed a new cloud storage that consists of a single main server and multiple data servers. The main server controls system-wide activities such as data server management. It also periodically communicates with each data server and collects its state. Data servers store data on local disks as Windows files. In order to response to the large number of data access, Selection of the server which is necessary to offer equalized performance. In this paper, we propose a server selection algorithm using different parameters to get the performance metrics which enables us to balance multi-resource from server-side. We design new cloud storage and implement the algorithm. According to upload experiment, the difference between the maximum and the minimum free space when using our algorithm is less than 5GB. But using the random mode, the free space difference is increased as time, and the maximum is 30GB. In the mixed experiment, we added the download mode, and our algorithm is fewer than 10GB. The result of the random mode approximated to the first experiment. Finally, our algorithm obtains 10% and 3% speedup in upload throughput by upload experiment and mixed experiment, 10% speedup in download throughput by mixed experiment.

Pulse synchronization is the evolution of spontaneous firing action across a network of sensor nodes. In the pulse synchronization model all nodes across a network produce a pulse, or "fire", at regular intervals even without access to a shared global time. Previous researchers have proposed the Reachback Firefly algorithm for pulse synchronization, in which nodes react to the firings of other nodes by changing their period. We propose an extension to this algorithm for tolerating arbitrary or Byzantine faults of nodes. Our algorithm queues up all the firings heard in the current cycle and discards outliers at the end of the cycle. An adjustment is computed with the remaining values and used as a starting point of the next cycle. Through simulation we validate the performance of our algorithm and study the overhead in terms of convergence time and periodicity. The simulation considers two specific kinds of Byzantine faults, the No Jump model where faulty nodes follow their own firing cycle without reacting to firings heard from other nodes and the Random Jump model where faulty nodes fire at any random time in their cycle.

Objectives were to determine: 1) whether estradiol benzoate (EB) provides a superior alternative to GnRH for synchronizing emergence, growth and maturation of a new follicular wave for fixed timed AI (TAI) in Bos indicus-influenced cattle using CIDR-based protocols, 2) the effect of 48 h calf removal at CIDR removal on the rate of maturational synchrony of the dominant follicle and 3) the effect of varying the magnitude of peak plasma progesterone (P4) concentrations following CIDR insertion on the suppression of FSH and LH secretion in a CIDR-based protocol using EB. In experiment 1, sixty-four Braford (F-1) females were stratified by BCS, parity and days postpartum and assigned randomly to one of four groups in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: 1) Select-Synch + CIDR, 2) Select-Synch + CIDR with 48 h calf removal, 3) E-Synch + CIDR or 4) E-Synch + CIDR with 48 h calf removal. A greater number of cattle in the EB treated group exhibited NFWE compared to the GnRH group, 29 vs 17 cows for EB and GnRH respectively, (P<0.0006). Intervals to NFWE were also greater in EB treated cattle than in GnRH treated cattle, 4.2 vs 2.7 d for EB and GnRH treated cattle respectively, (P<0.0001). Proportions of GnRH- and EB-treated cows ovulating after CIDR removal did not differ. Post-CIDR suckling status did not affect ovulation frequency or interval to ovulation. In experiment 2, eight pubertal (F-1) heifers were used in a Latin Square design with four treatment levels of P4: 1) EB only, 2) EB and new CIDR, 3) EB and new autoclaved CIDR, 4) EB, new autoclaved CIDR and P4 injection at CIDR insertion. Treatments 2 through 4 increased (P < 0.01) mean plasma P4 concentrations compared to treatment 1, with treatment 4 creating the greatest increase in P4 with the longest duration. Suppression of plasma FSH was greatest in group 4 (P<0.08), with mean 60 h concentrations less than in all other groups. Mean concentrations of LH were lesser in group 4 than groups 1 and 2. Frequencies of occurrence of NFWE and ovulation and intervals to NFWE did not differ among treatments. Results indicate that the use of EB and CIDR to synchronize Brahman x Hereford females may provide better synchronization for TAI compared to GnRH and CIDR based protocols.

In this research we consider synchronization of oscillators. We use mechanical metronomes that are coupled through a mechanical medium. We investigate the problem for three different cases: 1) In passive coupling of two oscillators, the coupling medium is a one degree of freedom passive mechanical basis. The analysis of the system is supported by simulations of the proposed model and experimental results. 2) In another case, the oscillator is forced by an external input while the input is also affected by the oscillator. This feedback loop introduces dynamics to the whole system. For realization, we place the mechanical metronome on a one degree of freedom moving base. The movements of the base are a function of a feedback from the phase of the metronome. We study a family of functions for the reactions of the base and their impact on the behavior of the metronome. 3) We consider two metronomes located on a moving base. In this case the two metronomes oscillate and as the base is not freely moving, they are not directly coupled to each other. Now based on the feedbacks from the vision system, the base moves and hence the phases of the metronomes are affected by these movements. We study the space of possibilities for the movements of the base and consider impacts of the base movement on the synchronization of metronomes. We also show how such a system evolves in time.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have received huge attention during the recent years due to their applications in a large number of areas such as environmental monitoring, health and traffic monitoring, surveillance and tracking, and monitoring and control of factories and home appliances. Also, the rapid developments in the micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and circuit design lead to a faster spread and adoption of WSNs. Wireless sensor networks consist of a number of nodes featured in general with energy-limited sensors capable of collecting, processing and transmitting information across short distances. Clock synchronization plays an important role in designing, implementing, and operating wireless sensor networks, and it is essential in ensuring a meaningful information processing order for the data collected by the nodes. Because the timing message exchanges between different nodes are affected by unknown possibly time-varying network delay distributions, the estimation of clock offset parameters represents a challenge. This dissertation presents several robust estimation approaches of the clock offset parameters necessary for time synchronization of WSNs via the two-way message exchange mechanism. In this dissertation the main emphasis will be put on building clock phase offset estimators robust with respect to the unknown network delay distributions. Under the assumption that the delay characteristics of the uplink and the downlink are asymmetric, the clock offset estimation method using the bootstrap bias correction approach is derived. Also, the clock offset estimator using the robust Mestimation technique is presented assuming that one underlying delay distribution is mixed with another delay distribution. Next, although computationally complex, several novel, efficient, and robust estimators of clock offset based on the particle filtering technique are proposed to cope with the Gaussian or non-Gaussian delay characteristics of the underlying networks. One is the Gaussian mixture Kalman particle filter (GMKPF) method. Another is the composite particle filter (CPF) approach viewed as a composition between the Gaussian sum particle filter and the KF. Additionally, the CPF using bootstrap sampling is also presented. Finally, the iterative Gaussian mixture Kalman particle filter (IGMKPF) scheme, combining the GMKPF with a procedure for noise density estimation via an iterative mechanism, is proposed.

In this thesis, we introduce a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimator and analyze the performance degradation of the SNR estimator due to the synchronization error in the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. This SNR estimator through the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is used in the adaptive modulation. When the synchronization is imperfectly done, the synchronization error reduces the performance of the OFDM systems and the accuracy of the SNR estimator. We investigate the estimation offset of the SNR estimator with the synchronization error. Simulation results demonstrate that the theoretical analyses are correct. In addition, the simulation results show that the more synchronization errors cause the more estimation errors of the SNR estimator. And the estimation errors are not decreased by the iteration of the EM algorithm.

The screw nut (Fasteners) is known as the ¡§Rice of Industry¡¨. It is mainly applied on durable products such as automobile, electric apparatus, machinery, construction and building. Most of the durable products belong to the global products except the construction and building, which belong to regional. Due to the global competition, the competitions among the systems and supply chains have been formed. The improvement of the individual enterprise is not able to rely on the resource and ability of that organization only. It should operate across the border of the enterprises, and operate cooperatively with the downstream clients of the supply chains and the upstream manufacturers in order to improve the global competitiveness of the supply chain and seek for further development. Nowadays, the Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) is the core of the trend of supply chain management (SCM) of global Fasteners industry. Taiwan is known as the empire of screw nut and it is not possible to neglect the operation trend of the global Fasteners market. This study attempts utilizing the characteristics of the System Dynamics, for which it is excellent on studying dynamic complicated system, to analyze the operation mechanism and structure of the Fasteners supply chain under VMI mode and applying synchronized mode. The individual dynamic model will be established to simulate the overall operation of the supply chain and compare the advantages and disadvantages of the two models. In addition, according to the major operation conditions and the demanding types, the model established by this study is utilized to develop the decision-making support tool for implementation of VMI mode of Fasteners industry. The conclusion of this study include (1) adding the synchronized model to Fasteners supply chain VMI mode can improve the operation performance of the enterprise, (2) to establish the design principle and steps of adding the design of synchronization to VMI mode. There are two contributions in this study: (1) the collocation of adding synchronization to the VMI mode model has proved that the combination with the synchronization mode can improve the performance of VMI mode. (2) The design principle and steps of adding the design of synchronization to VMI mode can be the reference for design steps of adding synchronization mode to the industry that implements VMI operation mode.