CASS Regional Synergy: High-Standard Research from APCCAS, ICECS, and LASCAS 2017
15066_Guest Editorial 2017 Special Issue on CASS Regional Flagship Conferences.
This document is a Guest Editorial for the 2017 Special Issue of IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I (TCAS-I). It highlights the selection of top-tier research from three major CASS regional flagship conferences (APCCAS 2016, ICECS 2016, and LASCAS 2017) to provide an expanded view of state-of-the-art advances in circuit design and systems.
TL;DR
This Special Issue of IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I (TCAS-I) serves as a premium repository for the best works presented at three major regional flagship conferences in 2016 and 2017. Out of over 830 initial conference submissions, only 18 highly refined papers survived the rigorous TCAS-I review process, representing the "best of the best" in contemporary circuit and system design.
Background and Motivation
The IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS) hosts several regional flagship conferences—APCCAS (Asia Pacific), ICECS (International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems), and LASCAS (Latin American Symposium). While these venues foster intense regional innovation, there is a recognized need to provide a global, peer-reviewed platform for the most impactful works.
The motivation behind this editorial and the subsequent special issue was to curate and elevate regional excellence into the permanent, high-impact archives of TCAS-I. This ensures that breakthroughs in microwave/mm-wave circuits, signal processing, and biomedical systems reach a wider audience with the added rigor of transaction-level validation.
Methodology: From Conference to Journal
The selection process was a demonstration of extreme academic filtering. The funnel functioned as follows:
- Initial Pool: 835 submitted papers across three regions.
- Conference Selection: 473 papers were presented (approx. 56% acceptance rate).
- The Short-list: Only 53 papers were invited based on the highest review scores.
- Final Acceptance: After the full TCAS-I journal review cycle, only 18 papers were included.
Figure 1: Dr. Domenico Zito, a lead guest editor with extensive background in mm-wave and microwave circuits.
A Curated Spectrum of Interests
The 18 papers chosen reflect the broad diversity of the CASS interests. While the editorial does not list every technical detail, the guest editors' backgrounds suggest a heavy focus on:
- Communication & Processing: Advanced microwave and mm-wave circuits for emerging data processing.
- Sensing & Imaging: Contactless sensing and imaging applications.
- Bio-Electronics: Signal processing for biomedical applications and wireless signals.
Figure 2: Dr. Jaswinder Lota, specialized in DSP and biomedical signal processing.
Critical Perspective & Conclusion
This initiative is more than just a collection of papers; it is a strategic maneuver by the IEEE CASS to standardize excellence across different geographical regions. By subjecting regional "stars" to the same standards as regular journal submissions, the society ensures that regional flagships are seen as authoritative venues for high-impact research.
Takeaway: For researchers, this special issue highlights the importance of the conference-to-journal pipeline. The "best paper" at a conference is merely the beginning; the final goal is the rigorous expansion and validation provided by a Transaction-level Special Issue.
Future Outlook: The editors express hope that this initiative becomes a regular tradition, further bridging the gap between conference-level "early-stage" innovation and journal-level "archival" maturity.