Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The purpose of this study is to further investigate the effect of using six different light source types with different light output intensities on the parameters of a mathematical model that predicts the DOC in VLDC’s. In this equation: D = Dp In(E0/Ec), D is the depth of cure in millimeters, E is the curing energy in J/cm2, Ec is the critical curing energy for the composite to reach a gel layer, and Dp is a characteristic coefficient. Three LED and three halogen dental curing units with different light output intensities were used to cure three shades (B1, A3, D3) of a hybrid resin composite. The exposure duration was at the intervals of 10, 20, 30, and 40 seconds for each sample setting. ISO scraping technique was performed to measure the depth of cure of each sample. Regression analysis was used to assess the fit of the proposed mathematical model D = Dp In(E0/Ec) to the experimental data obtained in this study. 72 For all the shade-light combinations; A3, B1, and D3 had significantly different regression lines (P < 0.05) with significantly higher Dp and Ec for B1 than A3 and D3. The only exceptions were for the Ec values between B1 and D3 in Allegro, Astralis 5, and Visilux 2 groups; and the Ec between A3 and B1 in Allegro group. The Dp and Ec parameters didn’t show significant differences between A3 and D3 shades in all the groups. Also, most of the significant differences for Dp values occurred in the B1 shade-light combinations; however, none of the D3 shade-light combinations showed significant differences for Dp. Several factors play combined influential effects on the kinetics of polymerization and depth of cure in VLDC’s. The shade has a more dominant effect on both parameters Dp and Ec than the curing light type or source output intensity. As we cure lighter shades “B1,” the effect of using different lights with different output intensities on the two parameters Dp and Ec will be greater and more significant than for darker shades “A3 or D3.” The clinical significance drawn from this study is that clinicians should recognize that using curing lights w/ increased output intensities doesn’t absolutely increase the DOC of VLDC’s especially with the darker shades.

Integration of optical wireless communications (OWC) within switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) / Although visible light communication(VLC) systems can provide high density links for use with IoT devices, an energy efficient, high rate method of designing a VLC transmitter is still unclear. Present designs for transmitters such as the bias-T, designs with switch manipulation, and interleaved converters are not commercially viable due to costly and complex designs that sacrifice energy efficiency for data rate. A design allowing for efficient, high rate communications, while maintaining a low cost would allow for widespread adoption of this technology. In this thesis, a novel approach of integrating power converters and VLC systems is explored by replacing commutating diodes with LEDs. By leveraging switched-mode power supply(SMPS) structures, the power dissipated within the converter may be harnessed and used for communications. The result is a simple and energy efficient solution capable of high rate links. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate buck and boost SMPS topologies that simultaneously increase energy efficiency and provide communications at SMPS switching rate without increasing component count. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Master of Science / Department of Chemistry / Kenneth J. Klabunde / Although Degussia-Huls P-25 TiO[subscript]2 semiconductor photocatalyst has high photodegradation rate for organic molecules, it works only under ultra-violet (UV) light. Mesoporous metal doped V-MCM-48 silica was synthesized under ambient conditions for use as a visible-light photocatalyst to convert toxic probe molecules to innocuous products: CO[subscript]2 + H[subscript]2O. The synthesis employed a modified Stober metal doped MCM-48 silica method. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse-reflectance-ultra-violet-visible (DR-UV-vis) spectroscopy, and N[subscript]2 adsorption-desorpton analysis characterization methods were completed on V-MCM-48 mesoporous material. These characterization methods indicate V-MCM-48 structure had formed with visible light absorption and mesoporous properties. Photocatalysis studies were completed with V-MCM-48 under dark, visible, and UV-light illumination conditions for the following probe molecules: acetaldehyde, carbon monoxide, ethanol, acetone, 2-propanol, and acetonitrile. Acetaldehyde over V-MCM-48 was converted to CO[subscript]2 under dark, visible, and UV-light conditions. Carbon monoxide photooxidation occurred over V-MCM-48 under visible and UV-light. Ethanol and acetonitrile had smaller photodegradation activity over V-MCM-48. Acetone and 2-propanol had no activity photocatalytically. Under dark and visible light illumination, V-MCM-48 consumed approximately one-half acetaldehyde and produced one-third CO[subscript]2 concentration as compared with the P-25 TiO[subscript]2 under UV-light. V-MCM-48 produced two-thirds of the amount of CO[subscript]2 in comparison to nanoparticle Au/ZnO catalyst under UV-light. The results infer V-MCM-48 might be useful in gas and liquid phase photocatalysis including water-splitting due to a high oxidation state (V[superscript]5+), visible light absorption, and high surface area. In conclusion, an extended literature review has been completed and literature employed extensively throughout the thesis with potential methods to further the research on V-MCM-48/Si-MCM-48 in catalysis, chromatography, adsorption/gas separation, and solar collection/water-splitting.

L'objectif de cette thèse CIFRE est de contribuer à la communication véhiculaire autonome et au développement de la mobilité urbaine. Les travaux sont basés sur les limitations et défis de la communication par radio pour les applications de sécurité et envisagent de déployer le système d'éclairage des véhicules en tant que solution de communication de soutien pour le platooning d'IVC-activées par VC Véhicules autonomes. L'objectif principale de cette recherche doctorale consiste à intégrer le système VLC dans l'architecture existante de C-ITS en développant un prototype VLC, ainsi que des algorithmes de transfert suffisants permettant VLC, RF et des solutions basées sur la perception afin d'assurer les exigences de sécurité maximales et l'échange continu d'informations entre les véhicules. La faisabilité et l'efficacité de la mise en oeuvre du système et des algorithmes de transfert ont fait l'objet de recherches approfondies sur six chapitres, destinés à faciliter une progression logique des matériaux et permettre un accès relativement facile. En plus de l'amélioration de la capacité routière en utilisant les systèmes de conduite autonome à la base de convoi. Les simulations réalisées ainsi que les résultats expérimentaux ont montré que l'intégration de VLC avec les solutions existantes RF a un avantage certain dans la qualité du canal de communication et les exigences de sécurité d'un système de platooning quand un algorithme approprié est utilisé. / This thesis effort contributes to the autonomous vehicular communication and urban mobility improvements. The work addresses the main radio-based V2V communication limitations and challenges for ITS hard-safety applications and intends to deploy the vehicular lighting system as a supportive communication solution for platooning of IVC-enabled autonomous vehicles. The ultimate objectives of this Ph.D research are to integrate the VLC system within the existing C-ITS architecture by developing a VLC prototype, together with sufficient, hand-over algorithms enabling VLC, RF, and perception-based solutions in order to ensure the maximum safety requirements and the continuous information exchange between vehicles. The feasibility and efficiency of the VLC-RF system implementation and hand-over algorithms were subjects to deep investigations over six self-contained chapters meant to facilitate a logical progression of materials and to enable a relatively easy access. In addition to the improvement in road capacity by utilizing the convoy-based autonomous driving systems. The carried out simulations followed-up by experimental results proved that the integration of VLC with the existed RF solutions lead to a definite benefit in the communication channel quality and safety requirements of a platooning system when a proper hand-over algorithm is utilized.

The skin has a system that can detect light in a fashion similar to the retina. Although its presence was initially reported almost 20 years ago, only in 2011 functional studies started to be reported. The biological clock of the skin has also been reported in the beginning of the century, but its function and relevance still remain unexplored. Thus, this Ph.D. project was designed to explore the functionality of both systems in melanocytes, and whether the disruption of these systems is associated with the development of melanoma cancer. Using in vitro, in vivo, and bioinformatics approaches, we have shown that: 1) the biological clock of malignant melanocytes is more responsive to visible light, UVA radiation, estradiol, and temperature compared to normal cells; 2) UVA radiation is detected by melanopsin (OPN4) and rhodopsin (OPN2), which triggers a cGMP related cascade that leads to immediate pigment darkening (IPD) in normal and malignant melanocytes; 3) in addition to detecting UVA radiation, OPN4 also senses thermal energy, which activates the biological clock of both normal and malignant melanocytes; 4) regarding the biological clock, we have provided several layers of evidence that proves that in melanoma a chronodisruption scenario is established compared to healthy skin and/or normal pigment cells; 5) in vivo tumor samples display a low amplitude circadian rhythm of clock gene expression and an ultradian oscillatory profile in melanin content; 6) a non-metastatic melanoma leads to a systemic chronodisruption, which we suggest that could favor the metastatic process; 7) in human melanoma, we demonstrated the role of BMAL1 as a prognostic marker and a putative marker of immune therapy success. Taken altogether, these results significantly contributed to the literature as it brought to light new and interesting targets and processes, which will be explored in future projects / A pele possui um sistema que pode detectar luz de forma análoga à retina. Embora a presença deste sistema tenha sido inicialmente descrita quase há 20 anos, apenas no ano de 2011 estudos funcionais começaram a ser relatados. Sabe-se que o relógio biológico da pele também foi identificado no início do século, mas sua função e relevância ainda continuam pouco exploradas. Diante deste cenário, este projeto de doutorado foi desenhado para investigar a funcionalidade de ambos os sistemas em melanócitos e se perturbação dos mesmos estaria associada com o desenvolvimento de melanoma. Através do uso de abordagens in vitro, in vivo e de bioinformática, nós demonstramos que: 1) o relógio biológico de melanócitos malignos é mais responsivo à luz visível, radiação UVA, estradiol e temperatura comparado ao de células normais; 2) a radiação UVA é detectada por melanopsina (OPN4) e rodopsina (OPN2), que ativam uma via de sinalização dependente de GMPc, levando ao processo de pigmentação imediata (IPD) em melanócitos normais e malignos; 3) além de detecção de radiação UVA, a OPN4 também detecta energia térmica que, por sua vez, ativa o relógio biológico de melanócitos normais e malignos; 4) relativo ao relógio biológico, provamos por diferentes abordagens que, no melanoma, um cenário de cronoruputura está estabelecido em comparação a pele saudável e/ou melanócitos; 5) tumores in vivo apresentam um ritmo circadiano de baixa amplitude na expressão dos genes de relógio e um ritmo ultradiano oscilatório no conteúdo de melanina; 6) um melanoma não metastático leva a um quadro sistêmico de cronoruptura, o qual sugerimos favorecer o processo de metástase; 7) em melanoma humano, demonstramos o papel do gene BMAL11 como marcador de prognóstico e um possível indicador de sucesso de imunoterapias. Portanto, este projeto contribuiu de forma significante para a literatura científica uma vez que trouxe à luz novos e interessantes alvos terapêuticos e processos, os quais serão explorados em projetos futuros

O uso crescente de dispositivos móveis e o advento da Internet das Coisas têm demandado esforços para prover alternativas de comunicação sem fio. A utilização de sistemas óticos para a transmissão de dados apresenta-se como uma tecnologia promissora e complementar à comunicação por radiofrequência, especialmente devido aos desenvolvimentos consideráveis na tecnologia de iluminação por estado sólido e sua adoção em vários domínios. Os diodos de emissão de luz podem ser utilizados na promoção de comunicação por luz visível em ambientes internos e externos. Nos ambientes externos há inúmeras oportunidades a serem exploradas no que concerne aos Sistemas Inteligentes de Transporte, visto que os diodos de emissão de luz têm sido utilizados em luminárias públicas, semáforos e veículos. Esta pesquisa propôs o desenvolvimento e a avaliação de um sistema de comunicação por luz visível entre elementos da infraestrutura urbana e veículos, mais especificamente, luminárias públicas baseadas em diodos de emissão de luz e o modal de transporte público representado pelos ônibus que circulam em faixas exclusivas. A metodologia foi composta por simulação computacional e pela construção de um protótipo para auxiliar na validação das soluções propostas. O sistema complementar de comunicação sem fio por meio da luz proposto fornece pode fornecer subsídios à determinação do posicionamento preciso dos ônibus, suprindo as deficiências do sistema GPS em locais menos favoráveis à recepção de seus sinais em uma cidade. Essas informações auxiliam os usuários e os gestores do transporte público, atendendo alguns domínios de serviço em Sistemas Inteligentes de Transporte, de acordo com a norma ISO 14813. Os resultados obtidos nos testes com o protótipo, bem como, aqueles observados na simulação, comprovaram a viabilidade do sistema proposto, com o estabelecimento da comunicação entre luminária e ônibus, inclusive quando trafegando a 60 km/h. / The increasing use of mobile devices and the advent of the Internet of Things have called for efforts to provide alternatives for wireless communication. The use of optical systems for data transmission is a promising and complementary technology to radiofrequency communication, especially due to the considerable developments in solidstate lighting technology and its adoption in various domains. Light-emitting diodes can be used to promote visible light communication in indoor and outdoor environments. In outdoor environments there are numerous opportunities to be explored with regard to Intelligent Transport Systems, since light-emitting diodes have been used in public luminaires, traffic lights and vehicles. This research proposed the development and evaluation of a visible light communication system between elements of the urban infrastructure and vehicles, more specifically, public luminaires based on light-emitting diodes and the mode of public transport represented by buses that circulate in exclusive lanes. The methodology was composed by computational simulation and the construction of a prototype, to assist in the validation of the proposed solutions. The proposed complementary wireless communication system through light provides subsidies to determine the precise positioning of buses, supplying deficiencies of the GPS system in places less favorable to the reception of their signals in a city. This information helps the users and the managers of the public transport, attending some service domains in Intelligent Transport Systems, according to the ISO 14813 standard. The results obtained in the tests with the prototype, as well as those observed in the simulation, proved the feasibility of the proposed system, with the establishment of communication between luminaire and bus, even when traveling at 60 km/h.

Dans cette thèse, nous concevons et étudions un système de communication bidirectionnel par lumière visible (VLC) entre une diode électroluminescente (DEL) de couleur, intégrée à un objet connecté, et un smartphone. Le dispositif est ainsi capable d'envoyer et de recevoir des informations à travers sa DEL, tandis que le smartphone utilise sa caméra pour recevoir des données et son flash pour envoyer des informations. Nous mettons en œuvre et évaluons expérimentalement ce système VLC DEL-à-camera conçu spécifiquement pour les DELs de couleur à faible puissance. En nous appuyant sur les résultats d'une vaste étude expérimentale, nous modélisons, pour la première fois dans la littérature, le canal de communication DEL-à-caméra. Nous proposons alors un modèle de processus de Bernoulli modulé par une chaîne de Markov, qui nous permet d'étudier facilement l'efficacité de différentes stratégies de retransmission des messages. Nous exploitons ce modèle afin de concevoir un simulateur pour l'évaluation des performances des communications DEL-à-caméra. Afin d'obtenir un système de communication bidirectionnel, nous étudions ensuite les communications de type flash-vers-DEL entre un smartphone non-modifié et une petite DEL de couleur. Les performances, bien que limitées, sont suffisantes pour établir une voie retour qui permet de mettre en œuvre des mécanismes de fiabilisation. Nous proposons alors un mécanisme de codage linéaire pseudo-aléatoire, spécialement adapté aux conditions et contraintes du système DEL-à-caméra en ligne de visée directe. Notre évaluation expérimentale souligne que ce type d'approche augmente le rendement jusqu'à deux fois par rapport aux stratégies de retransmission classiques. Enfin, la plupart des objets que nous adressons ont des contraintes énergétiques importantes. Par conséquent, nous comparons la consommation d'énergie de notre système avec celle d'un module Bluetooth Low Energy avec une activité similaire. Nos résultats montrent que notre système réduit la consommation d'énergie dans le cadre d'un profil d'utilisation classique. / With the exponential growth of the Internet of Things, people now expect every household appliance to be smart and connected. At the same time, smartphones have become ubiquitous in our daily life. Their continuous performance improvement and their compatibility with a broad range of radio protocols as WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or NFC make them the most convenient way to interact with these smart objects. However, providing wireless connectivity with BLE or NFC means adding an extra chipset and an antenna, increasing the object size and price. Previous works already have demonstrated the possibility of receiving information through visible light using an unmodified smartphone thanks to its camera. Also, LED-to-LED communication for smart devices like toys has been shown previously. However, past efforts in LED to camera communication for IoT device communication have been limited. In this work, we design LightIoT, a bidirectional visible-light communication (VLC) system between a low-cost, low-power colored LED that is part of an IoT device and an off-the-shelf smartphone. The IoT device is thus able to send and receive information through its LED, while the smartphone uses its camera to receive data and its flashlight to send information. We implement and experimentally evaluate a LED-to-camera VLC system, designed specifically for small LEDs. The proposed solution exploits the rolling shutter effect of unmodified smartphone cameras and an original decoding algorithm, achieving a throughput of nearly 2 kb/s. Based on the insight gained from an extensive experimental study, we model, for the first time in the literature, the LED-to-camera communication channel. We propose a Markov-modulated Bernoulli process model, which allows us to easily study the performance of different message retransmission strategies. We further exploit this model to implement a simulator for LED-to-Camera communications performance evaluation. In order to achieve bi-directional communications, we evaluate flashlight-to-LED communications using non-rooted smartphones and small LEDs. With these constraints, our implementation achieves a throughput of 30 bits/second. While limited, this is enough for a feed-back channel coming to support the required redundancy mechanisms. Some of these redundancy mechanisms are based on random linear coding, never tested previously in VLC. Therefore, we design and implement, for the first time in the literature, a pseudo random linear coding scheme especially fitted for line-of-sight LED-to-camera conditions. Experimental evaluation highlights that this type of approach increases the goodput up to twice compared to classical retransmission strategies. Finally, we compare the energy consumption of LightIoT with the one of a BLE module with similar activity. Our results show that using the LED for communication purposes reduces the energy consumption under a normal usage behavior.

O uso crescente de dispositivos móveis e o advento da Internet das Coisas têm demandado esforços para prover alternativas de comunicação sem fio. A utilização de sistemas óticos para a transmissão de dados apresenta-se como uma tecnologia promissora e complementar à comunicação por radiofrequência, especialmente devido aos desenvolvimentos consideráveis na tecnologia de iluminação por estado sólido e sua adoção em vários domínios. Os diodos de emissão de luz podem ser utilizados na promoção de comunicação por luz visível em ambientes internos e externos. Nos ambientes externos há inúmeras oportunidades a serem exploradas no que concerne aos Sistemas Inteligentes de Transporte, visto que os diodos de emissão de luz têm sido utilizados em luminárias públicas, semáforos e veículos. Esta pesquisa propôs o desenvolvimento e a avaliação de um sistema de comunicação por luz visível entre elementos da infraestrutura urbana e veículos, mais especificamente, luminárias públicas baseadas em diodos de emissão de luz e o modal de transporte público representado pelos ônibus que circulam em faixas exclusivas. A metodologia foi composta por simulação computacional e pela construção de um protótipo para auxiliar na validação das soluções propostas. O sistema complementar de comunicação sem fio por meio da luz proposto fornece pode fornecer subsídios à determinação do posicionamento preciso dos ônibus, suprindo as deficiências do sistema GPS em locais menos favoráveis à recepção de seus sinais em uma cidade. Essas informações auxiliam os usuários e os gestores do transporte público, atendendo alguns domínios de serviço em Sistemas Inteligentes de Transporte, de acordo com a norma ISO 14813. Os resultados obtidos nos testes com o protótipo, bem como, aqueles observados na simulação, comprovaram a viabilidade do sistema proposto, com o estabelecimento da comunicação entre luminária e ônibus, inclusive quando trafegando a 60 km/h. / The increasing use of mobile devices and the advent of the Internet of Things have called for efforts to provide alternatives for wireless communication. The use of optical systems for data transmission is a promising and complementary technology to radiofrequency communication, especially due to the considerable developments in solidstate lighting technology and its adoption in various domains. Light-emitting diodes can be used to promote visible light communication in indoor and outdoor environments. In outdoor environments there are numerous opportunities to be explored with regard to Intelligent Transport Systems, since light-emitting diodes have been used in public luminaires, traffic lights and vehicles. This research proposed the development and evaluation of a visible light communication system between elements of the urban infrastructure and vehicles, more specifically, public luminaires based on light-emitting diodes and the mode of public transport represented by buses that circulate in exclusive lanes. The methodology was composed by computational simulation and the construction of a prototype, to assist in the validation of the proposed solutions. The proposed complementary wireless communication system through light provides subsidies to determine the precise positioning of buses, supplying deficiencies of the GPS system in places less favorable to the reception of their signals in a city. This information helps the users and the managers of the public transport, attending some service domains in Intelligent Transport Systems, according to the ISO 14813 standard. The results obtained in the tests with the prototype, as well as those observed in the simulation, proved the feasibility of the proposed system, with the establishment of communication between luminaire and bus, even when traveling at 60 km/h.

Le développement de photocatalyseurs en couches minces supportées constitue un intérêt majeur autorisant une séparation efficace des produits de réaction, en dépit d’une réduction de leur surface spécifique par rapport à des nanopoudres du même matériau. La synthèse de revêtements de TiO2 par pulvérisation cathodique magnétron en condition réactive fait l’objet de recherches intensives. Cette technique permet de contrôler, à travers les paramètres d’élaboration, la structure et les propriétés physicochimiques et photocatalytiques des revêtements.Afin de s’affranchir de la contamination du catalyseur par le sodium du verre lors de traitements en température ou lors de recuits de couches déposées à l’ambiante, une barrière de diffusion en SiNx est intercalée et son épaisseur est fixée pour la suite de l’étude. Différentes couches de TiO2 ont été élaborées à haute pression dans un réacteur doté d’un système de contrôle en boucle fermée basé sur la spectroscopie d’émission optique. L’effet de la cristallisation in situ à différentes températures sur les différentes propriétés des revêtements TiO2 a été étudié et les propriétés de ces derniers ont été comparées à celles des échantillons synthétisés sur des substrats froids et recuits ex situ aux mêmes températures.Enfin, des premiers travaux portant sur l’influence de l’introduction de l’argent en différentes teneurs sur l’efficacité photocatalytique sous lumière visible des couches de TiO2 cristallisées in situ et ex situ sont présentés. / The development of supported photocatalysts thin films is of major interest allowing an efficient separation of the reaction products, in spite of their specific area reduction compared to nanometric scale powders. The synthesis of TiO2 coatings by reactive magnetron sputtering is the subject of intensive researches. This technique allows, trough the control of the deposition parameters, to manage the structure and the physicochemical and photocatalytic properties of the coatings. In order to hinder the sodium contamination of the catalyst from the glass substrate, either during in situ or ex situ heating of the coating, a SiNx diffusion barrier is intercalated with a fixed thickness. Different layers of TiO2 were prepared at high pressure in a reactor equipped with a closed-loop control system based on optical emission spectroscopy. The influence of the in situ crystallization at different temperatures on the properties of the TiO2 coatings was studied. These properties were compared with those of samples synthesized ex situ and at the same temperatures. Finally, first studies on the influence of silver enrichment at different contents on photocatalytic activity under visible light of TiO2 layers crystallized in situ and ex situ, are presented.

科学研究費補助金 研究種目:基盤研究(C)(2) 課題番号:16560330 研究代表者:山里 敬也 研究期間:2004-2005年度