Johnson I. Agbinya

FunRich: An open access standalone functional enrichment and interaction network analysis tool

As high‐throughput techniques including proteomics become more accessible to individual laboratories, there is an urgent need for a user‐friendly bioinformatics analysis system. Here, we describe FunRich, an open access, standalone functional enrichment and network analysis tool. FunRich is designed to be used by biologists with minimal or no support from computational and database experts. Using FunRich, users can perform functional enrichment analysis on background databases that are integrated from heterogeneous genomic and proteomic resources (>1.5 million annotations). Besides default human specific FunRich database, users can download data from the UniProt database, which currently supports 20 different taxonomies against which enrichment analysis can be performed. Moreover, the users can build their own custom databases and perform the enrichment analysis irrespective of organism. In addition to proteomics datasets, the custom database allows for the tool to be used for genomics, lipidomics and metabolomics datasets. Thus, FunRich allows for complete database customization and thereby permits for the tool to be exploited as a skeleton for enrichment analysis irrespective of the data type or organism used. FunRich (http://www.funrich.org) is user‐friendly and provides graphical representation (Venn, pie charts, bar graphs, column, heatmap and doughnuts) of the data with customizable font, scale and color (publication quality).

Discrete wavelet transform techniques in speech processing

The trend towards real-time, low-bit-rate speech coders dictates current research efforts in speech compression. A method being evaluated uses wavelets for speech analysis and synthesis. Distinguishing between voiced and unvoiced speech, determining pitch, and methods for choosing optimum wavelets for speech compression are discussed. We observe that wavelets concentrate speech energy into bands which differentiate between voiced or unvoiced speech. Optimum wavelets are selected based on energy conservation properties in the approximation part of the wavelet coefficients. It is shown that the Battle-Lemarie wavelet concentrates more than 97.5% of the signal energy into the approximation part of the coefficients followed closely by the Daubechies D20, D12, D10 or D8 wavelets. The Haar wavelets are the worst. Listening tests show that the Daubechies 10 preserves perceptual information better than other Daubechies wavelets and, indeed, a host of other orthogonal wavelets. Pitch periods and evolution can be identified from contour plots of coefficients obtained at several scales.

Vertical Handoff Decision Algorithm for UMTS-WLAN

The next generation of mobile/wireless communication systems is expected to include heterogeneous broadband wireless networks that will coexist and use a common IP core to offer a diverse range of high data rate multimedia services to end users with contemporary mobile devices that are equipped with multiple network interfaces since the networks have characteristics that complement each other. This requires the provision of seamless vertical handoff. This paper provides components of an adaptive multiple attribute vertical handoff decision algorithm that enables access network selection at a mobile node. A performance study using the integration of wireless wide area networks (WWANs) and wireless local area networks (WLANs) as an example shows that our proposed vertical handoff decision algorithm is able to determine when a handoff is required, and selects the best access network that is optimized to network conditions, quality of service requirements, user preferences, and service cost.

Multi-Object Tracking in Video

This paper reports on tracking of multiple objects using color histogram backprojection and motion cues. Four tasks which facilitate this are discussed. The first is an adaptive color histogram backprojection (which builds upon the works of Swain and Ballard) and its application to tracking of multiple objects in video sequences. The second task is designing efficient fast blob detectors for selecting regions of interest in video sequences. The third is motion detection based on color histogram backprojection. Achieving these tasks led to multi-objects tracking. Various video sequences were used to demonstrate effective tracking of multiple objects. Notably, we created an interactive multiple objects tracker (CLICK-IT) which in its present form is set at three objects but can be extended easily. CLICK-IT (CSIRO Laboratory for Imaging by Content and Knowledge?Interactive Television) is a PC-based system which provides the user with an intelligent highlighter pen for sports action replay. It is intended as a truly interactive improvement on the drawing pad technology currently used for video annotation in sports broadcasting. The system uses computer vision techniques to focus attention and track particular objects (player(s), ball, horse(s), ?) and semi-automatically annotate the dynamic scene. This paper describes the system including the user interface, the tracking technology based on color and motion information, and system performance evaluation in applications to surveillance-like sequences, running, rugby league football, basketball and soccer. Finally, video scene detection based on color histogram is discussed.

A Vertical Handoff Decision Algorithm for Next Generation Wireless Networks

The integration of diverse but complementary cellular and wireless technologies in the next generation wireless networks requires the design of intelligent vertical handoff decision algorithms to enable mobile users equipped with contemporary multi-interfaced mobile terminals to seamlessly switch network access and experience uninterrupted service continuity anywhere and anytime. This paper provides an adaptive multiple attribute vertical handoff decision algorithm that enables wireless access network selection at a mobile terminal using fuzzy logic concepts and a genetic algorithm. A performance study using the integration of universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) and world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) as an example shows that our proposed vertical handoff decision algorithm is able to determine when a handoff is required, and selects the best access network that is optimised to network conditions, quality of service requirements, mobile terminal conditions, user preferences, and service cost.

Power Equations and Capacity Performance of Magnetic Induction Communication Systems

Although a number of studies have been done on the traditional Radio Frequency (RF)terrestrial communication system, the potential applications and the advantages of Near-Field magnetically coupled coils in wireless short range communications is just emerging and is yet to be explored. This paper investigates the impacts of magnetically coupled transceiver antenna coil on the received signal power and the communication link capacity. Based on the equivalent circuit model in free space, theoretical foundations are laid with observed simulation results. The simulation result benefits the antenna designers and the network planning engineers to estimate the power at the receiver and a near field magnetic communication system capacity for different antenna coil characteristics and different communication ranges.

Cooperative relay in Near Field Magnetic Induction: A new technology for embedded medical communication systems

Radio Frequency based communication systems highly benefit from the cooperative relaying to achieve higher data rate and more coverage range with lower cost and complexity. However this concept has not been fairly examined to be used in the Magnetic Induction Communication systems, where the path loss effect is very critical and the range extension is highly required. Recently Magneto Inductive waveguide method is proposed as a relaying method in the Near Field Magnetic Induction Communications (NFMIC) to extend the communication range. This paper studies this model and discusses different cooperative relaying configuration. Different relaying configurations have been tested in the laboratory and the best configuration is analysed theoretically. Based on the experimental results, a new relaying method is proposed. This model suggests that if the relaying nodes are laid on the same vertical axis the received power at the final receiver is higher than the existing conventional waveguide model. Therefore this model is seen as a promising method to provide the range extension in the NFMIC systems.

FPGA-Based Implementation of Multiple Modes in Near Field Inductive Communication Using Frequency Splitting and MIMO Configuration

Conventional near field inductive wireless power transfer theory shows that systems suffer from splitting frequency behaviors when strong coupling condition exists between the transmitter and the receiver. However, this characteristic has not been explored for communication. Our analysis demonstrates that the splitting behaviour of frequency creates multiple frequencies that support inductive communication in MIMO configuration. As a result, we implement a binary chirp modulation on an FPGA and validate two channel communication using splitting. This paper introduces the use of chirp signals to spread data and excite inductive MIMO systems. The simulation and experiment show that the splitting frequency depends on a quality factor and the flux coupling condition between the data source and receiver. In other words, the degree of mutual coupling defines the splitting mode. This paper proves that multi-channel communication using splitting can be used for data transmission. The results show that data rates of 50 Mbps or 69 Kbps can be achieved for each channel between the transmitters and receivers when the transmitter and receiver operate at the original resonant frequency of 13.56 MHz or 28 KHz, respectively and the distance between them varies from about 1 cm to 10 cm.

Modelling and Information Fusion in Digital Identity Management Systems

The increase in the number of users accessing online services using communication devices such as computers, mobile phone and cards such credit cards has prompted most governments and business organizations to change the way they do business and manage their identity information. However Internet users are vulnerable to identity fraud, which is on the increase and costing the global industry excessive amounts. In this paper we propose Digital Identity Management System (DIMS) as a solution for managing digital identity information. The system proposed uses technologies like artificial intelligence and biometrics on the current unsecured networks to maintain the security and privacy of users and service providers in a transparent, reliable and efficient way. DIMS in this paper will use Multimodal Authentication (MA). MA will be implemented using a technique of information fusion with artificial neural networks to combine the user credentials for optimum recognition of a user. Keywords Credentials, Attributes, Digital Identity, Authentication, Authorization, Information Fusion

Investigation of Near Field Inductive Communication System Models, Channels and Experiments

Near-fleld inductive channels created between two or more magnetically coupled inductive nodes are studied in this paper. Peer- to-peer conflgurations and array architectures are discussed. The array channels are used for cooperative relaying with inductive methods with potential to provide range extension and enhanced data rate access in magnetic induction communication systems. The received power shows the presence of the nearest neighbour interactions and the in∞uences of higher order coupling from nodes two or more positions away from the receiver. This in∞uence causes phase changes in the communication system. Four methods of exciting the antenna arrays are proposed. These are array edge excitation, center excitation, collinear array excitation and multi-array excitation. Experiments with hardware nodes show that while array edge excitation provides increased power at the array edge, it is out performed by array center excitation which results to twice the power captured at the array center node compared to the power captured at edge excited flrst element. We demonstrate by example that a receiver is in∞uenced most by its neighbouring nodes on both sides and that the efiects of second and third tier neighbours are relatively insigniflcant.