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Events for March 13, 2008

  • CS Colloq: Rethinking Network Protocol Design for Large Scale Sensor Networks

    Thu, Mar 13, 2008 @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

    Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Title: Rethinking Network Protocol Design for Large Scale Sensor NetworksSpeaker: Prof. Prasun Sinha (Ohio State)Abstract:
    Designing large-scale, unattended and long-lasting sensor networks requires rethinking about fundamental protocol design principles. Existing network protocols for medium access control, routing, and data collection are often based on network structures that are expensive to compute and maintain. Limited energy resources is one of the prime considerations in the design of large-scale sensor networks. We propose a new paradigm of protocol design termed "structure-free design" that relies primarily on dynamic and opportunistic forwarding decisions. It makes use of packet forwarding techniques based on MAC layer anycasting to take advantage of the broadcast nature of wireless channels. This paradigm can be used to design protocols at various layers of the network stack. In particular, I will show how the MAC layer protocol in presence of duty-cycling, and the data aggregation protocol can be designed with provable performance bounds. These protocols have also been shown to provide significant performance improvement using TinyOS implementation on the Kansei testbed at OSU. This work was motivated by observations made during our DARPA/NEST demonstration in 2004 where the world's largest sensor network of 1000 nodes was deployed over a 1.3 km x 0.3 km region for detection, classification and tracking of intruders. Further information on the DARPA project can be found here: http://ceti.cse.ohio-state.edu/exscalBiography:
    Prasun Sinha is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Ohio State University. His interests are in the area of wireless and sensor networking. Prior to joining OSU he worked at Bell Labs, New Jersey for two years. He holds a PhD from UIUC (2001), MS from Michigan State University (1997) and B.Tech from IIT Delhi (1995), all in Computer Science and Engineering. He is a winner of the prestigious NSF CAREER award in 2006. During his graduate studies he won the Ray Ozzie Fellowship (UIUC, 2000), the Mavis Memorial Scholarship (UIUC, 1999), and the Distinguished Academic Achievement Award (MSU, 1997). More information about his research can be found at http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~prasun

    Location: Henry Salvatori Computer Science Center (SAL) - 222

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: CS Colloquia

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  • Innovative Bioreactors for Contaminated Air and Water Treatment: From Nano to Field Demonstration

    Thu, Mar 13, 2008 @ 12:45 PM

    Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Lyman Handy Colloquium SeriesPresentsMarc A. DeshussesDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California RiversideAbstractBiological systems have a fantastic potential for the biotransformation of a wide range of substances including treatment of numerous man made pollutants. This provides opportunities for the development of novel and environmentally friendly bioprocesses for pollution control. In this seminar, recent research in the area of bioreactors for air and groundwater pollution control conducted in Deshusses' group will presented and discussed. This will includes the simple synthesis of reactive nanomaterials for environmental application, the use of molecular methods and establishment of relationships between pollutant removal and DNA or RNA fingerprints, high performance biotrickling filters treating H2S at a gas contact time as low as 1.5 seconds, and the treatment of perchlorate contaminated groundwater by bacteria deriving energy from iron particles on which they are attached. The discussion will include lab and field data and a brief assessment of the sustainability of some of these novel developments. BiographyDr. Deshusses' broad research interests are related to the design, analysis and application of systems for bioremediation of wastes in air, water and soils. One area of on-going research is air pollution control in gas-phase bioreactors. Results from this work have resulted among others in a better fundamental understanding of how VOCs and odors are biodegraded in biofilters and biotrickling filters. The research has also shown how to convert odor control chemical scrubbers to high-efficiency biotrickling filters at wastewater treatment plants. Other areas of research include bioremediation of groundwater contaminated with the gasoline additives (MTBE and TBA) or with perchlorate, the development of gas phase nanosensors, and reactive nanomaterials for environmental applications. Other research interests include biofilms, application of molecular tools for monitoring complex cultures, combined chemical and biological treatment of wastes, membrane bioreactors, and modeling of environmental bioprocesses.http://www.engr.ucr.edu/~mdeshuss/

    Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Petra Pearce Sapir

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  • Information Flow Over Wireless Networks: A Deterministic Approach

    Thu, Mar 13, 2008 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    SPEAKER: Salman Avestimehr, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of EECS, UC-BerkeleyABSTRACT How does information flow over wireless networks? Answer to this basic question is one of the most challenging problems in the field of wireless network information theory. From a practical point of view, the answer to this question will have a significant impact on the architectural design of future wireless systems. So far, the majority of research done in this area have been based on the classical additive Gaussian noise model for wireless channels. However, due to the complexity of this model, except for the simplest networks, the analysis of most other networks has been an open problem for many years.To make further progress, we develop a deterministic channel model which is analytically simpler than the Gaussian model, but at the same time captures the essential physical layer properties of the wireless medium: signal strength, superposition and broadcast. We will demonstrate how this model can be an effective tool to help visualize the flow of information and obtain intuitive insights in many challenging network scenarios. Furthermore, somewhat surprisingly, these deterministic results translate to good approximation for the Gaussian case. As an example, we apply this approach to cooperative wireless relay networks (with a single source node and a single sink node and arbitrary number of relay nodes to help with the communication), whose capacity even in the simplest case with only one relay is unsolved for more than 30 years. We first determine the capacity of deterministic relay networks. This result is a generalization of the max-flow min-cut theorem for wireline networks. Next we use the connections between the deterministic model and the Gaussian model to approximate the capacity of Gaussian relay networks within a constant number of bits, independent of the channel parameters.In addition, the deterministic model can also be used to replace other simplistic models, such as collision model, to capture some abstraction of the physical layer at higher layers of network design. This is an important step towards developing new networking algorithms that exploit the available degrees of freedom at the physical layer.BIO: Salman Avestimehr is presently a Ph.D. candidate advised by Prof. David Tse at UC Berkeley. He was a Vodafone fellow at UC Berkeley during 2003-2005. He received his B.Sc. degree (with honors) from Sharif University of Technology in 2003, and his M.Sc. degree from UC Berkeley in 2005, both in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. His research interests include wireless communications and networks, information theory and signal processing.HOST: Professor Michael J. Neely, mjneely@usc.edu

    Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Mayumi Thrasher

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  • Simulation-Based Engineering and Science (SBES); Applications for Large Scale Systems

    Thu, Mar 13, 2008 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM

    Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars


    Speaker: Dr. Masanobu Shinozuka Professor & Chair, Civil & Environmental Engineering-UC IrvineThis presentation reviews the development of analytical models that evolved over the last decades for the prediction and evaluation of the performance of large-scale systems, including civil infrastructure systems, under probabilistic natural and manmade hazards. Key milestones in the evolution are highlighted in terms of notable analytical innovations, enhanced sophistication in modeling, quantum jumps in the spatial coverage, and broadening of the consequence domain into socio-economic dimensions from technical dimension only. The overall predictive model for the system is constructed by integrating a number of modular components each of which represents a subsystem model or a model of specific hazard impact. Such predictive models are used in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulation techniques in the spirit of SBES. It is notable that in this process, the system can be improved (upgraded or retrofitted) virtually, and then subjected to various probabilistic hazard scenarios. This allows us to identify the most effective method of improvement under probabilistic hazard scenarios (e.g., a particular earthquake ground motion with an estimated probability of occurrence, or under a set of scenario earthquakes representing the regional probabilistic seismic hazard). However, the effectiveness can be measured in terms of the benefit-cost ratio derived for each of stakeholder groups. And hence, the optimal effective method chosen for implementation can be completely different depending on which stakeholder group prevails. Some examples of the use of such predictive models for seismic performance evaluation and for evaluation of cost-effectiveness of implementing a method of retrofit are presented for the utility networks of LADWP (Los Angeles Department of Water & Power), MLGW (Memphis Light, Gas and Water) and for the highway network of Caltrans (California Department of Transportation). In these examples, engineering-wise fundamentalistic definitions of robustness, resilience and sustainability of these systems are used.

    Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Evangeline Reyes

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  • Visions and Voices

    Thu, Mar 13, 2008 @ 03:30 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs

    University Calendar


    The Future of Health Care in America
    A Lecture by Dr. Andrew WeilTwice the cover subject of TIME magazine, Dr. Weil is a Harvard-trained physician and author of several bestselling books including Spontaneous Healing, Eight Weeks to Optimum Health and Healthy Aging.Please visit http://web-app.usc.edu/ecal/custom/113/index.php?category=Item&item=0.865784 for additional information.

    Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

    Contact: Viterbi Admission & Student Affairs

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  • Schlumberger Information Session

    Thu, Mar 13, 2008 @ 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM

    Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections

    Workshops & Infosessions


    Join representatives of this company as they share general company information and available opportunities.

    Location: Grace Ford Salvatori(GFS) 106

    Audiences: All Viterbi Students

    Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Services

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