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SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for January
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Sub-half-mm Resolution Single Photon Emission Tomography of Molecules and Organs in Action
Fri, Jan 22, 2010 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Guest Speaker: Frederik J. Beekman,Ph.D.Abstract: Pivotal questions in pharmacology and biology concern how function of localized cells relates to disease. For example in experimental neuroscience we have dreamt about a magnifying glass that would allow us to see neurotransmitters in action, in cardiovascular research about a system that would provide us simultaneously with myocardial anatomy, mechanical function and cell function, and in cancer research to see detailed dynamic distributions of pharmaceuticals and markers, in small animals serving as models for human disease. Such studies have been limited by the availability of methods to study such molecular dynamics. A Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography system called U-SPECT has been developed in The Netherlands. It can quantify tracer dynamics in U-SPECT uses sophisticated focusing pinhole geometries together with unique 3D focusing technology and list mode data acquisition. Novel reconstruction methods that enable to enhance resolution are applied, accelerated by pixel-based block iterative update schemes.Examples include imaging the density and occupancy of dopamine transporters in sub-compartments of the brain, sub-half-mm resolution dynamic myocardial perfusion imaging or imaging of tumor markers and anti-cancer agents (e.g. antibodies) in micro-metastasis, all during a range of points in time. Applied to different models of disease this will aid our understanding of dynamic processes that underlie tissue functions and human pathology. New sub-half-mm resolution U-SPECT-II and U-SPECT/CT images and movies with sub-minute resolution will be shown.An overview of the U-SPECT-II technology will be given as well as current research at my lab Delft University of Technology, where novel collimation, reconstruction and detector technologies for next generations SPECT are currently under development.Bio: Prof. Frederik J. Beekman received a M.Sc. in Physics from the Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands (1991) and a Ph.D from the University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands (1995). At Delft University of Technology he is the heads of the group Radiation, Detection & Medical Imaging. He (co-)authored > 90 peer reviewed journal papers, several book chapters and >20 patent applications. He was presented with several international awards for his scientific contributions to SPECT technology and its application in Neurosciences. His research interests include radiation technology applied to biomedical imaging (radiation detectors, SPECT, PET, transmission CT and new (hybrid) modalities), image reconstruction from projections, and biomedical applications of SPECT, PET and X-ray CT. Prof. Beekman acted as an associate editor of several journals and is Board Member of Physics in Medicine and Biology (IOP). He is principle founder and CEO of MILabs (www.milabs.com) that develops and markets SPECT and SPECT/CT systems with an unsurpassed spatial and temporal resolution.Hosted by Professor Richard Leahy
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia Veal
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Wireless Network Coding Algorithms
Wed, Jan 27, 2010 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Christina Fragouli,
School of Computer and Communication Sciences,
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), SwitzerlandAbstract: The paradigm of network coding allows intermediate nodes in a network to not only forward but also linearly combine their incoming information flows. This modern application of coding to the theory and practice of communication networks raises novel and exciting research problems, and is beginning to have an impact in diverse areas of network engineering that include multicasting, network monitoring, reliable delivery, resource sharing, efficient flow control and security.However, one of the main challenges is to enable network coding functionalities with implementable computational complexity. This aspect becomes particularly important in wireless networks where network coding can have a significant practical impact. We illustrate through two examples how algorithmic and combinatorial tools can be applied to make progress on this challenging question.We introduce the framework of vector network coding, which is applicable not only to graphs but also to deterministic models for wireless communications. We give the first polynomial time algorithms for unicast and multicast communication in such networks. Our unicast algorithm can be interpreted as an extension of the classical Ford-Fulkerson algorithm to deterministic networks. The framework of vector network coding generalizes the traditional scalar network coding, and thus offers a larger space of choices for optimizing cost parameters, such as the communication block length.Wireless sensor networks, require not only low-complexity operation, but also energy-efficient communication. There is a significant class of sensor-network applications, where the identities of the reporting sensors constitute the bulk of the communicated information, whereas the message itself can be as small as a single bit. We term this as identity-aware sensor networking, and re-examine the traditional message-identity separation, for such networks. We demonstrate that there can be a significant advantage (in terms of energy efficiency) to jointly encoding the messages and identity, instead of keeping them separate. We develop subspace coding methods that exploit this idea and give provable performance guarantees. We also translate our designs to networking protocols, and deploy them on a Tiny-OS sensor network testbed.Biography: Christina Fragouli is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, EPFL, Switzerland. She received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece, in 1996, and the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1998 and 2000, respectively. She has worked at the Information Sciences Center, AT&T Labs, Florham Park New Jersey, and the National University of Athens. She also visited Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ, and DIMACS, Rutgers University. From 2006 to 2007, she was an FNS Assistant Professor in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, EPFL, Switzerland.Her research interests are in network information flow theory and algorithms, network coding, wireless sensor networks, and connections between communications, networking and computer science. She received the Fulbright Fellowship for her graduate studies, the Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award 2000-2001, UCLA, Electrical Engineering Department, the Zonta award 2008 in Switzerland, and the Young Investigator ERC grant award in 2009. She served as an editor for IEEE Communications Letters, and is currently serving as an editor for IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, IEEE Transactions on Communications and Elsevier Computer Communications. Host: Giuseppe Caire, caire@usc.edu, EEB 528, x04683
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Entropy, Networks and Information Flow
Thu, Jan 28, 2010 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Babak Hassibi,
California Institute of TechnologyAbstract: We study the information flow in networks through the notion of entropic vectors. Given n random variables, the 2^n-1 dimensional vector obtained from all possible joint entropies is called an entropic vector. It turns out that the space of entropic vectors is a convex cone and that a large class of network information theory problems can be cast as linear optimization over this convex cone. While this formulation circumvents the "non-convex" and "infinite-letter" characterizations of earlier formulations, it still does not lead to a solution since a characterization of the convex cone of entropic vectors is not known for n>4 random variables. In this talk, we develop some inner and outer bounds to this space, as well as describe the connections to finite group theory, quasi-uniform distributions, non-Shannon inequalities, matroids, and Cayley's hyperdeterminant. We review the insuficiency of linear network codes and describe Ingleton-bound-violating finite groups. As a concrete example, we show how determining optimal linear codes over GF(2), for arbitrary networks, reduces to linear programming. We also develop Monte Carlo Markov chain methods for designing optimal nonlinear network codes.Biography: Babak Hassibi is professor and executive officer of electrical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, where he has been since 2001. From 1998 to 2001 he was a member of the technical staff at the Mathematical Sciences Research Center at Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ, and prior to that he obtained his PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University. His research interests span different aspects of communications, signal processing and control. Among other awards, he is a recipient of the David and Lucille Packard Foundation Fellowship, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).Host: Alex Dimakis, dimakis@usc.edu
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Rhythm in Speech & Music
Thu, Jan 28, 2010 @ 03:30 PM - 04:45 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Guest Speaker: Aniruddh D. Patel, Esther J. Burnham Senior Fellow, The Neurosciences Institute, San Diego, California Abstract: Rhythm is fundamental to speech and music. What do these two domains share in terms of rhythmic organization? There is a long history of interest in this topic, but remarkably few empirical explorations have been conducted. This is particularly striking since there are large bodies of empirical research on rhythm within each domain. In this presentation I suggest that progress in empirical comparative research depends on a clear distinction between periodic and nonperiodic rhythms in human auditory cognition. I will argue that speech and music have fundamental differences in terms of periodic rhythms, and important connections in terms of nonperiodic rhythms. Evidence for this argument draws on diverse strands of evidence, including quantitative comparisons of rhythmic patterns in speech and music, rese arch on rhythm perception, and data from cognitive neuroscience. Bio: Aniruddh D. Patel is the Esther J. Burnham Senior Fellow at The Neurosciences
Institute in San Diego, California, and a pioneer in the use of new concepts and technology to investigate the neural correlates of music. His research focuses on how the brain processes music and language. He has pursued this topic with a variety of techniques, including neuroimaging, neuropsychology, behavioral studies, theoretical analyses, phonetic/acoustic research, cross- cultural research,and comparative studies of nonhuman animals. Patel earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar. After a year at the National Taiwan University as a Luce Scholar, he went on to Harvard University as an NSF Fellow, where he studied with Edward O. Wilson. He did a joint postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard and at Tufts University before joining The Neurosciences Institute. Patel's research has appeared in numerous scientific journals, including Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognition, Brain and Language, and Music Perception. His 2008 book Music, Language, and the Brain (Oxford Univ. Press) has been hailed "an intellectual tour de force" by Nature and has received positive reviews in 10 scholarly journals, spanning the sciences and humanities. Pronounced "a major synthesis" by Oliver Sacks, the book won a 2008 ASCAP Deems-Taylor Award. Patel is President of the Society for Music Perception and Cognition (2009- 2011), and is interested in promoting research and education in the field of music cognition. He recently won the "Music has Power Award" from the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function in New York City, for his studies of music and language. Hosted by Prof. Elaine Chew. Relevant readings:[First three available at http://www.nsi.edu/users/patel/publications.html]Patel, A.D., Iversen, J.R., & Rosenberg, J.C. (2006). Comparing the rhythm and melody of speech and music: The case of British English and French. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 119:3034-3047.Iversen, J.R., Patel, A.D., & Ohgushi, K. (2008). Perception of rhythmic grouping depends on auditory experience. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 124: 2263-2271.Patel, A.D. (2006). Musical rhythm, linguistic rhythm, and human evolution. Music Perception, 24:99-104.Ch. 3 (Rhythm) of Patel, A.D. (2008). Music, Language, and the Brain. NY: Oxford Univ. PressLocation: Estelle Doheny Eye Foundation (DOH) - eny Library, Rm: 240
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia Veal
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Advanced Nanoelectromechanical Devices and Systems
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 @ 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Abstract:
Nanoscale devices with mechanical degrees of freedom offer compelling characteristics that make them not only interesting tools for fundamental studies, but also intriguing candidates for technological applications. In particular, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) vibrating in their resonant modes provide promising opportunities and advantages for developing novel sensors and transducers, in the previously inaccessible regimes. This seminar will describe my research interests, efforts, and thoughts in advanced NEMS engineering, with a central theme of how to innovate and advance today's primitive nanostructures into functional devices and integrated systems with high performance. I will first briefly overview the fundamentals of NEMS devices enabled by the state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques (both top-down and bottom-up). I will then focus on two specific technological thrusts. One is to demonstrate that engineering of NEMS resonators and signal transduction, in very-high and ultra-high frequency (VHF/UHF) ranges, has enabled single-biomolecule sensing in real time, and the prototyping of NEMS-based mass spectrometry for future proteomics. Second is to show novel, high-performance silicon nanowire NEMS based on a hybrid top-down/bottom-up technique. This new device technology has opened up the opportunities for monolithic integration at large scale; and has led to self-sensing nanowire NEMS gas analyzers that are now being manufactured using industrial SOI technology. Next, I shall briefly introduce and highlight some latest milestones such as the nascent radio-frequency (RF) NEMS for frequency control and timing, NEMS based logic devices, and their very-large-scale integration (VLSI). Finally, I will discuss the tremendous opportunities created by such explorations that transcend boundaries of traditional disciplines. I will show my perspective on future fundamental and technological research, and possibilities for novel devices in emerging applications. Biography:
Philip Feng is a staff scientist at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), affiliated with the Kavli Nanoscience Institute, where he has also been serving as a co-principal investigator since 2008. He obtained his Ph.D. from Caltech in 2007 for developing ultra-high-frequency nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) with low-noise technologies. He has since been leading a small team of engineers and applied physicists to advance NEMS and other device-related technologies for sensing, signal processing and computing. He has been privileged to deliver invited lectures at several peer-reviewed international conferences. He has served on IEEE frequency control technical committee and also served as a frequent reviewer for more than fifteen high-impact multidisciplinary and IEEE journals.Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Hazel Xavier
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Crosscorrelation of $m$-sequences and related topics
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Tor Helleseth,
University of BergenAbstract: Sequences with good correlation properties are important in many communication systems, for example in Code-Division Multiple-Access systems(CDMA). Many sequence families in practical use involve maximal-length (or $m$)-sequences as part of their construction. Therefore the crosscorrelation of $m$-sequences has been a classical and ongoing research problem for more than 40 years.In this talk an updated overview of the crosscorrelation of $m$-sequences will be given. The status of what is presently known including recent results involving exponential sums and Dickson polynomials will be presented. Open problems and several conjectures will also be pointed out. Several of the problems have also been considered and significantly inspired by researchers from USC during several decades.Biography: Tor Helleseth received the Cand. Real. and Dr. Philos. degrees in mathematics from the University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, in 1971 and 1979, respectively. From 1973 to 1980 he was a Research Assistant at the Department of Mathematics, University of Bergen. From 1981 to 1984 he was at the Chief Headquarters of Defense in Norway. Since 1984 he has been a Professor at the Department of Informatics at the University
of Bergen.During the academic years 1977-1978 and 1992-1993 he was on sabbatical leave at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and during 1979-1980 he was a Research fellow at the Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands. His research interests include coding theory, cryptology and discrete mathematics. He has published more than 100 journal papers including more than 70 in the IEEE Transactions in Information Theory.From 1991 to 1993 he served as an Associate Editor for Coding Theory for IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. He is on the editorial board of Designs, Codes and Cryptography and Cryptography and Communications: Discrete Structures, Boolean Functions and Sequences. He was Program Chairman for Eurocrypt'93 and for the IEEE Information Theory Workshop in 1997 in Longyearbyen, Norway. He was a Program Co-Chairman for SETA04 in Seoul and SETA06 in Beijing. He was also a Program Co-Chairman for the IEEE Information Theory Workshop in Solstrand, Norway in 2007. He was serving on the Board of Governors for the IEEE Information Theory Society 2007-2009. In 1997 he was elected an IEEE Fellow for his contributions to coding theory and cryptography. In 2004 he was elected member of Norsk Videnskaps-Akademi.Host: Gerhard Kramer, gkramer@usc.edu, EEB 536, x07229
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Gerrielyn Ramos
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
