NIST Technicalendar March 26 to March 30, 2007 The NIST Technicalendar is issued each Friday. All items MUST be submitted electronically from this web page by 12:00 NOON each Wednesday unless otherwise stated in the NIST Technicalendar. The address for online weekly editions of the NIST Technicalendar and NIST Administrative Calendar is: http://www.nist.gov/tcal/.
Please evaluate the web Technicalendar using our 30 Second Evaluation

In this Issue: Meetings at NIST Meetings Elsewhere Announcements Talks by NIST Personnel NIST Web Site Announcements NIST Administrative Calendar (current)   NIST Vacancy Announcements (current)

Also available: Previous Issues of the Technicalendar Quick Technicalendar (current) Last week's Quick Technicalendar Last week's Technicalendar Detailed Search NIST Journal of Research (Current TOC) Change User Options

No Scheduled Events

9:00 AM - 2007 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics
11:00 AM - Hybrid Modeling for Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

10:00 AM - Characterization and Modeling of Underwater Acoustic Communications Channels for Frequency-Shift-Keying Signals
10:30 AM - Adiabatic Phases and Adiabatic Invariants in Coherent Manipulations of Matter-Waves
12:00 PM - NCW seminar Honoring Women/Nist Women

10:30 AM - The Euler-Lagrange Equations of Diffeomorphic Matching Methods: Applications to Computational Anatomy
1:30 PM - Mechanical Properties of Polymeric and Biological Nanostructures
1:30 PM - NIST’s New Patent Policy: An Enabler for Technology Transfer - Myths, Misconceptions and Facts

11:00 AM - A Cross-Layer Design Approach to Enhance IEEE 802.15.4

3/26 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

3/27 -- TUESDAY

9:00 AM - SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRONICS DIVISION SEMINAR: 2007 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics
Wenyong Wang , Guest Researcher.
Administration Bldg, Green Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Wenyong Wang, 301-975-3377, wwang@nist.gov) http://www.eeel.nist.gov/812/conference/program.html

11:00 AM - ADVANCED NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES DIVISION SEMINAR: Hybrid Modeling for Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks
There has been a great deal of work on ad-hoc network communications and protocol issues, and research is ongoing to expand the scope and quality of service of these networks. The performance of ad-hoc networks is normally studied via simulation over a fixed time horizon using a steady-state type of statistical analysis procedure. However, due to the dynamic nature of the network topology such an approach may be inappropriate in many cases as the network may spend most of the time in a transient or nonstationary state. The objective of this research is to develop a performance modeling framework and detailed techniques for analyzing the time varying performance of mobile ad-hoc networks. Our approach is a hybrid of discrete event simulation and numerical analysis techniques. Network queues are modeled using fluid-flow based differential equation models which are solved using numerical methods, while node mobility is modeled using either discrete event simulation techniques or stochastic modeling of adjacency matrix elements. Extensions to the basic model include incorporating energy consumption, interference and propagation effects into the hybrid modeling framework to improve it’s fidelity. The intellectual merit of this research lies in the unique goal of developing performance modeling techniques for studying the dynamic behavior of mobile ad-hoc networks. These techniques are expected to lead to insights into basic ad-hoc network behavior, for example, how mobility affects the stability of the network topology from a performance standpoint and what types of mobility patterns are particularly advantageous or detrimental to network performance. Additionally the models can serve as the basis for the application of control theory techniques to develop dynamic network control algorithms.
Yi Qian , Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR, yqian@ece.uprm.edu.
Building 222, Rm. A240. (NIST Contact: Nader Moayeri, 301-975-3767, moayeri@nist.gov)


3/28 -- WEDNESDAY

10:00 AM - ADVANCED NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES DIVISION SEMINAR: Characterization and Modeling of Underwater Acoustic Communications Channels for Frequency-Shift-Keying Signals
This presentation will start with an introduction of underwater acoustic communications. The difference between the underwater acoustic channel and the RF channel in terms of multipath, Doppler effect, available bandwidth and propagation delay will be addressed. Due to the difference, RF technologies may not be suitable for underwater acoustic communications. Instead, sophisticated receiver signal processing techniques are usually required. In this talk, he will focus on channel characterization and modeling using frequency-shift-keying signals (either M-ary or Frequency-Hopping), whose bit-error-rate is determined predominantly by the envelope amplitude fading statistics of the signal. The narrowband envelope amplitude distributions are measured from the TREX04 data (as a function of frequency) using m-sequence signals centered at 17 kHz with a 5 kHz bandwidth. The results do not fit the Rayleigh, Rician, or Nakagami m-distributions. In contrast, we find that the data are fitted well by a K-distribution. We also analyze the data in terms of long-term and short-term statistics. The long-term and short-term fading statistics are well fitted by the lognormal distribution and Rayleigh distribution respectively, with the average time scale to be ~0.2 sec. The joint probability distribution function of a lognormal and the Rayleigh distribution is approximately the K-distribution.
Wen-Bin Yang , Electrical Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, wyangcius@gmail.com.
Building 222, Rm. A240. (NIST Contact: Nader Moayeri, 301-975-3767, moayeri@nist.gov)

10:30 AM - ELECTRON AND OPTICAL PHYSICS DIVISION SEMINAR: Adiabatic Phases and Adiabatic Invariants in Coherent Manipulations of Matter-Waves
A Itin , Univ. of Electro-Communications, Tokyo.
Radiation Physics Bldg, Rm. B105. (NIST Contact: C. Clark, 301-975-3709, charles.clark@nist.gov)

12:00 PM - OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NIST SEMINAR: NCW seminar Honoring Women/Nist Women
. . , ..
101 Bldg, Conf. room 427. (NIST Contact: suzie price, 301-975-3827, suzie.price@nist.gov)


3/29 -- THURSDAY

10:30 AM - BIOMEDICAL IMAGING SERIES: The Euler-Lagrange Equations of Diffeomorphic Matching Methods: Applications to Computational Anatomy
We will discuss a general mechanism with which a particular form of gradient for matching functionals can be computed within a group of diffeomorphisms. This will be related to the Large Deformation Diffeomorphic Metric Matching (LDDMM) algorithm which uses a geodesic length in groups of diffeomorphisms to control the amount of deformation. We will show how these problems induce a fundamental conservation equation, called EPDiff, which is defined along the geodesic. The conserved quantity, called the momentum, can be used as a way to characterize deformations of a given template. It provides a basic descriptor for statistical shape analysis.
L. Younes , Applied Mathematics and Statistics, John Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD, laurent.younes@jhu.edu.
Chemistry Bldg., Rm. A264. (NIST Contact: John Lu, 301-975-3208, john.lu@nist.gov)

1:30 PM - POLYMERS DIVISION SEMINAR: Mechanical Properties of Polymeric and Biological Nanostructures
Ryan Hartschuh , University of Akron, Akron, OH, rdh9@uakron.edu.
224 Bldg, Rm. A312. (NIST Contact: Christopher Soles, 301-975-8087, csoles@nist.gov)

1:30 PM - DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, TECHNOLOGY SERVICES SEMINAR: NIST’s New Patent Policy: An Enabler for Technology Transfer - Myths, Misconceptions and Facts
Information Session for NIST Staff When: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., March 29, 2007*** Where: Gaithersburg Lecture Room D*** Hosted by the Office of Technology Partnerships and the NIST Counsel’s Office All NIST Technical Staff are invited to attend this information session, which will include: • An introduction by NIST Deputy Director Jim Hill • How patents help commercialization and utilization of NIST technology by industry • Discussion of what is patentable and the relation between patents and other tech transfer mechanisms • Common NIST myths and misconceptions concerning patenting and patents • Answers to frequently asked questions about patents and subsequent participation by NIST inventors in ongoing research and/or cooperative development activities • Advice developed in conjunction with the Department of Commerce Ethics Office • A discussion by a NIST inventor of what is involved in actually getting a patent issued, licensed and successfully commercialized. The session will provide ample time for Q&A and participation by NIST staff in the discussions. For further information, contact Terry Lynch. Because seating is limited, please RSVP by email to Brenda Thomasson (brenda.thomasson@nist.gov) if you are planning to attend.
. . , ..
Administration Building, Lecture Room D. (NIST Contact: Terry Lynch, 301-975-2691, terry.lynch@nist.gov)


3/30 -- FRIDAY

11:00 AM - ADVANCED NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES DIVISION SEMINAR: A Cross-Layer Design Approach to Enhance IEEE 802.15.4
The low-power communication in wireless sensor networks can be impacted by severe channel impairments. To address this problem and achieve high network goodput, we propose that the medium access control protocol takes into consideration the error performance of the underlying wireless links. Our work focuses on combining a distributed back-off strategy regulated by the wireless link quality with Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance. We integrate this cross-layer operational approach in the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, taking advantage of existing functionality and signaling to avoid network overhead and achieve simplicity in implementation. Our performance evaluation indicates that our scheme is more effective, achieving up to 69% higher goodput, and more efficient, delivering up to 154% more data bits per unit of energy consumed in the network, at the expense of up to 18% degradation in fairness, compared to the basic 802.15.4. In this talk, the speaker will present the cross-layer design of IEEE 802.15.4 protocol and discuss performance results.
Amitabh Mishra , Bradley Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, mishra@vt.edu.
Building 222, Rm. A240. (NIST Contact: Nader Moayeri, 301-975-3767, moayeri@nist.gov)


ADVANCE NOTICE

4/10/07 1:00 PM - NIST COLLOQUIUM SERIES (JOINTLY SPONSORED BY NIST IT SECURITY OFFICE): The Economics of Information Security
SPECIAL DATE AND TIME Surveying current trends in information security, it's clear that a myriad of forces are at work. But fundamentally, security is all about economics: both attacker and defender are trying to maximize the return on their investments. Economics can both explain why security fails so often, and offer new solutions for security success. For example, often the people who could protect a system are not the ones who suffer the costs of failure. Changing those economic incentives will do more to improve security than more technology.
Bruce Schneier , Founder and Chief Technical Officer, Counterpane Network Security, Inc..
Administration Building, Red Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Kum Ham, 301-975-4203, kham@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available

4/12/07 10:30 AM - ,NIST CHAPTER OF SIGMA XI SEMINAR: Driving Change in the Automobile Industry: Technology Trends and Challenges in the 21st Century
The DNA of the automobile has not changed for over 100 years. Vehicles continue to be largely energized by petroleum, powered by internal combustion engines, and operated via mechanical linkages. However, given today’s challenges related to energy, environment, safety, and congestion, one must question whether the continued evolution of this DNA will enable sustainable industry growth. Fortunately, a new and revolutionary automotive DNA is at hand, made possible by the convergence of advanced propulsion, electrical and electronic controls and systems, telematics, and advanced and smart materials. The convergence of these technologies will enable the industry to reinvent the automobile and address the externalities currently associated with our vehicles. In his talk, Dr. Taub will discuss the major issues in each technology arena, which in many cases includes infrastructure and standards development. He will highlight how solutions to these issues will help the industry reinvent the automobile and continue to grow the business sustainably. Alan Taub joined General Motors Corporation in January 2001 as Executive Director-Science Laboratories for GM Research and Development. He was named Executive Director of Research & Development in April 2004. In this post, he is responsible for GM’s seven science laboratories in Warren, Michigan and Bangalore, India. These labs focus on a wide range of technology, including advanced powertrain systems; computer-based design and analysis systems for vehicle engineering; electronics and information-based vehicle systems; new materials and fabrication processes; new, more environmentally friendly fuels and lubricants, and more efficient emission control systems. In addition, Alan has responsibility for GM’s advanced technical work activity, managing a portfolio of major innovation programs of strategic importance to the company. He oversees global technology collaboration, managed through science offices around the world that coordinate government and industry partner projects and collaborative research at leading universities. He also serves as the interface between R&D and the rest of GM on advanced technology development and implementation. Alan received a bachelors degree in materials engineering from Brown University in 1976. He earned masters and doctorate degrees in applied physics from Harvard University in 1977 and 1979, respectively. Alan was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering in 2006. He has been an active member of the Materials Research Society and the Industrial Research Institute and serves on the advisory boards of several institutions, including Harvard, Brown, MIT, Northwestern University, and the NSF. He is married with three children and resides in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Dr. Alan Taub, Ph.D. , Executive Director, Research and Development, General Motors Corporation.
Administration Bldg, Red Auditorium. (NIST Contact: John Slotwinski, 301-975-2171, john.slotwinski@nist.gov)

---

MEETINGS ELSEWHERE


3/26 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

3/27 -- TUESDAY

4:15 PM - JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV. CHEMISTRY DEPT/ EPHRAIM AND WILMA SHAW ROSEMAN COLLOQUIUM SERIES: INTERFACIAL DYNAMICS OF POLYMERS, METALS, AND SAMS: NANOSCALE ASSEMBLY, GLASSY DYNAMICS, AND THE QUEST FOR PERFECTION
S.J. Sibener , Univ. of Chicago.
Bldg, Rm. .
Chemistry Dept., The Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD. (NIST Contact: R. Elder, 410-516-7432, rosalie@jhu.edu)



3/28 -- WEDNESDAY

No Scheduled Events

3/29 -- THURSDAY

No Scheduled Events

3/30 -- FRIDAY

No Scheduled Events

ADVANCE NOTICE

4/16/07 8:00 AM - NATIONAL COUNCIL ON RADIATION PROTECTION AND MEASUREMENTS (NCRP)
Advances in Radiation Protection in Medicine
James Brink , Yale University. Patricia Durbin , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Bldg, Rm. .
Crystal Forum, Crystal City Marriott, 1999 Jefferson David Highway, Arlington, Virginia. (NIST Contact: David Gilliam, 301-975-6206, david.gilliam@nist.gov) http://www.ncrponline.org/News_Events/News_Events.html
Special Assistance Available - Call Marriott 713-413-5500

---

TALKS BY NIST PERSONNEL

TSANG, W. : THE DECOMPOSITION AND ISOMERIZATION OF CYCLOHEXYL AND 1-HEXENYL RADICALS.
5th US Combustion Institute Meeting, San Diego, CA, 3/26.

EUSTIS, S. : FOLLOWING THE FORMATION OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES ATOM BY ATOM: PHOTO CHEMICAL MOLECULAR MECHANISM FOR THE FORMATION OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES BY DISPROPORTIONATION..
American Chemical Society National Meeting, McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, IL, 3/27.

AWAN, I. : ALKYL RADICAL STABILITY FROM THE DECOMPOSITON AND ISOMERIZATION OF PRIMARY IODIDES: 5-METHYL-HEXYL RADICAL FROM 5-METHYL-HEXYL IODIDE.
5th US Combustion Meeting/Western States Section of the Combustion Institute, San Diego, CA, 3/26.

BURGESS, JR., D. : THERMO CHEMICAL DATA FOR COMBUSTION SPECIES FROM AB INITIO (G3B3) CALCULATIONS.
5th US Combustion Institute Meeting, San Diego, CA, 3/26.

MCDERMOTT, R. : LAGRANGIAN PARTICLE ADVECTION SCHEME FOR HYBRID LES/FDF METHODS....
Joint U.S. Combustion Meeting - San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA, 3/26.

HEILWEIL, E. : TERAHERTZ SPECTROSCOPY AND MODELING OF BIOSYSTEMS AND MATERIALS.
American Chemical Society, American Chemical Society Center, Chicago, IL, 3/27.

ANTONUCCI, J. (Co-Authors: J.O'Donnell D.Skrtic , American Dental Association Found.) : POLYMERIZATION SHRINKAGE STRESS DEVELOPMENT AND MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF ACP ACRYLIC RESIN COMPOSITES.
ACS, Chicago, IL, 3/27.

LI, Q. (Co-Author: C.Richter ) : CHARACTERIZATION AND METROLOGY FOR NANOELECTRONICS.
2007 International Conference on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics, Denver, CO, 3/27.

HUNT, F. : A MARKOV DECISION PROCESS RESULT MOTIVATED BY A MULTIPLE SEQUENCE ALIGNMENT METHOD.
Stochastic Dynamical Systems and Control Workshop, Berkeley, CA, 3/28.

GERGEL-HACKETT, N. (Co-Authors: C.Hacker , Semiconductor Electonics Division, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD, christina.hacker@nist.gov L.Richter , Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, NIST;) Kirillov, O.A, Semiconductor Electronics Division, NIST; Richter, C.A, Semiconductor Electronics Division, NIST; : THE CHARACTERIZATION OF SILICON-BASED MOLECULAR DEVICES.
2007 International Confrence on Frontiers of Characterization and Metrology for Nanoelectronics, Gaithersburg, MD, USA, 3/29.

---

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MARCH BOOK GIVEAWAY AT THE NIST RESEARCH LIBRARY
The NIST Research Library is discarding some older, unused books from its collection. Please feel free to look them over and to take any that may be useful to you. The giveaway books are designated by signs in the library and will be available through March 30.
NIST Contact: NIST Research Library, 301-975-3052, library@nist.gov

SAVE THE DATE – TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2007 – NCSCI STANDARDS INFORMATION DAY
Do you use documentary standards in your work, need standards research, or standards delivered to your desktop? If so, circle April 24 on your calendar and watch for more news from the National Center for Standards and Certification Information (NCSCI). NCSCI is your source for standards information at NIST!
NIST Contact: Anne Meininger, 301-975-2921, anne.meininger@nist.gov

VISITOR REGISTRATION FOR NIST EVENTS
Because of heightened security at the NIST Gaithersburg site, members of the public who wish to attend meetings, seminars, lectures, etc. must first register in advance. For more information please call or e-mail the "NIST Contact" for the particular event you would like to attend.
NIST Contact: . ., ., .

---

NIST WEB SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIBRARY 2007 CUSTOMER SURVEY EXTENDED
The NIST Research Library has extended its customer survey through March 30. If you haven't had a chance to take the survey yet, please do so now and let your voice be heard!
NIST Contact: NIST Research Library, 301-975-4189, nancy.allmang@nist.gov

---

For more information, contact Ms. Sharon Hallman, Editor, Stop 2500, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg MD 20899-2500; Telephone: 301-975-TCAL (3570); Fax: 301-926-4431; or Email: tcal@nist.gov.

All lectures and meetings are open unless otherwise stated.

---

NVL Webmaster