Banco de pruebas de una red inalámbrica Mesh basada en el protocolo IEEE 802.11s

La tecnología inalámbrica Mesh es una de las tecnologías que van a jugar un importante papel dentro de las redes de comunicaciones inalámbricas en la próxima década. Con el uso de esta tecnología será posible llevar a cabo un sueño dentro de las redes de comunicaciones: poder conectarse a la red desde cualquier sitio a cualquier hora muy fácilmente y con un coste muy bajo. Las mejoras que ofrece este tipo de tecnología son debido a la capacidad de auto organización de la que dispone, ya que reduce significativamente la complejidad y el mantenimiento de la red, lo que repercute en que la inversión a realizar es mínima. El objetivo principal de este proyecto es la creación de una Red Inalámbrica Mesh (WMN, Wireless Mesh Network) basada en el proyecto Open80211s, que sirva como banco de pruebas para analizar el rendimiento y comportamiento de esta nueva tecnología. Este Proyecto Fin de Carrera ha sido realizado en la Universidad Tecnológica de Luleå dentro de su Grupo de Investigación de Redes de Comunicación, con el propósito de avanzar en el desarrollo e implantación de esta tecnología emergente. Los objetivos de este proyecto son construir y verificar dos paquetes de instalación para evaluar diferentes topologías de una Red Inalámbrica Mesh basada en el protocolo 802.11s. El primer paquete de instalación será desarrollado bajo el sistema operativo Ubuntu-Linux, utilizando la implementación del proyecto open80211s, y el segundo será desarrollado en el simulador de redes NS-3. La evaluación incluye pruebas de calidad y rendimiento de la red para diferentes topologías y tráfico de datos, comparando los resultados obtenidos en ambos sistemas. Con la realización de este proyecto obtenemos dos sistemas en los que se puede analizar la tecnología inalámbrica Mesh. Por un lado, tenemos un sistema real donde podemos analizar la red bajo condiciones reales y por otra parte tenemos un sistema donde podemos simular la red con las mismas condiciones que en la realidad. Se han podido comparar los resultados y se ha determinado que se ajustan a la realidad, pero con algunos matices a la hora de implementar las interferencias del medio. Con los resultados obtenidos podemos modificar, mejorar y ampliar las implementaciones utilizadas obteniendo un sistema más eficaz y robusto

Demand-supply matching through auctioning for the circular economy

The circular economy aims to reduce the consumption of resources and energy by exploiting multiple use-cycles of components and materials. The creation of new circular businesses hinges on efficient alignment between market demands of circular products with the supply of End-of-life components and materials. In this paper, we address the digitization of a matchmaking tool for the circular economy by defining demand-supply matching (DSM) in context of business link identification and cross-sectorial matchmaking. We further specify a DSM process and p resent our DSM tool, which facilitates publication and search for supplier offerings and demander needs, selection of auctioning candidates, and digitized auctioning and contract definition. By that, this tool supports the alignment of market demands with matching supply offerings. In particular, it combines the steps of publishing, searching, selecting, auctioning and contract definition into one tool, which we argue can make matchmaking more efficient compared to addressing these steps separately. Finally, we present the design of the tool and discuss its merits in light of the needed acceptance for automating business link identification and contractual interactions

Can fisheries-induced evolution shift reference points for fisheries management?

Biological reference points are important tools for fisheries management. Reference points are not static, butmay change when a population's environment or the population itself changes. Fisheries-induced evolution is one mechanism that can alter population characteristics, leading to "shifting" reference points by modifying the underlying biological processes or by changing the perception of a fishery system. The former causes changes in "true" reference points, whereas the latter is caused by changes in the yardsticks used to quantify a system's status. Unaccounted shifts of either kind imply that reference points gradually lose their intended meaning. This can lead to increased precaution, which is safe, but potentially costly. Shifts can also occur in more perilous directions, such that actual risks are greater than anticipated. Our qualitative analysis suggests that all commonly used reference points are susceptible to shifting through fisheries-induced evolution, including the limit and "precautionary" reference points for spawning-stock biomass, B-lim and B-pa, and the target reference point for fishing mortality, F-0.1. Our findings call for increased awareness of fisheries-induced changes and highlight the value of always basing reference points on adequately updated information, to capture all changes in the biological processes that drive fish population dynamics

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Quality issues in Internet packet forwarding

This thesis addresses quality issues in Internet Protocol (IP) packet forwarding. In IP networks, queue mechanisms and scheduling can be used to construct multiple forwarding behaviors. Thereby, both relative and independent services can be offered to Internet users. Independent services offer forwarding qualities known beforehand. Users are assumed to explicitly request admission to an independent service from their network provider. With relative services, users switch between these services to find one that provides an appealing balance between forwarding quality and cost. The thesis makes contributions to three research areas related to forwarding quality in IP networks; differentiating forwarding mechanisms, admission control for differentiated services, and forwarding quality in radio networks carrying Internet traffic. It contributes to the first research area with definitions of three recommendations related to offering loss-rate differentiation (i.e., multiple drop precedence levels). These recommendations are; (1) the total forwarding quality at congested links should not be degraded due to actions taken to create loss-rate differentiation, (2) traffic at high drop precedence levels should always be given a useful share of available forwarding resources, and (3) users should be able to predict the change in loss-rates when switching between drop precedence levels. We specify and evaluate properties of queue mechanisms following these recommendations. Also, as a contribution to the first research area, a new set of forwarding behaviors is specified and analyzed. These forwarding behaviors are suitable for rate-adaptive and delay-sensitive applications with limited loss-tolerance. Applications needing loss-free forwarding of specific packets can be said to have limited loss tolerance. We define and evaluate a scheduling mechanism creating these forwarding behaviors that can be implemented efficiently. The contribution to the second research area is a mechanism for admission control giving assurances on loss-rates to rate varying applications is defined. With this mechanism, dynamic per-link admission thresholds are used to limit committed aggregate rates. To allow for high link utilization through statistical multiplexing we specify a method to adjust these thresholds using low impact traffic monitoring mechanisms commonly available in legacy routers. In radio networks carrying IP traffic, radio transmissions can be scheduled differently to balance spectrum utilization and the forwarding quality provided. Also, parameters settings can be used to optimize the forwarding quality in radio networks for certain transport protocols and applications. This thesis analyses delay spikes experienced by IP traffic in cellular radio networks. We evaluate two different radio-block scheduling mechanisms’ impact on two versions of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) (i.e., TCP Sack and TCP Eifel). The evaluation contributes to the third research area by revealing basic dependencies between scheduling, interference, and congestion control mechanisms implemented by TCP. Finally, the thesis contributes to the third research area by proposing extensions to the Internet architecture for inter-layer communication. These extensions allow applications and transport protocols to exchange information with radio link layers. Such information exchange can be used to improve the forwarding quality and to customize data and transport features for current radio conditions.Godkänd; 2003; 20061108 (haneit