A Distributed Neural Linear Thompson Sampling Framework to Achieve URLLC in Industrial IoT

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks will provide Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) to support critical processes underlying the production chains. However, standard protocols for allocating wireless resources may not optimize the latency-reliability trade-off, especially for uplink communication. For example, centralized grant-based scheduling can ensure almost zero collisions, but introduces delays in the way resources are requested by the User Equipments (UEs) and granted by the gNB. In turn, distributed scheduling (e.g., based on random access), in which UEs autonomously choose the resources for transmission, may lead to potentially many collisions especially when the traffic increases. In this work we propose DIStributed combinatorial NEural linear Thompson Sampling (DISNETS), a novel scheduling framework that combines the best of the two worlds. By leveraging a feedback signal from the gNB and reinforcement learning, the UEs are trained to autonomously optimize their uplink transmissions by selecting the available resources to minimize the number of collisions, without additional message exchange to/from the gNB. DISNETS is a distributed, multi-agent adaptation of the Neural Linear Thompson Sampling (NLTS) algorithm, which has been further extended to admit multiple parallel actions. We demonstrate the superior performance of DISNETS in addressing URLLC in IIoT scenarios compared to other baselines

Penetrating Blast Injury to the Knee of a United States Soldier Treated with Allograft Mosaicplasty

Objective: This is the first report of successful allograft mosaicplasty treatment of a large osteochondral lesion of the knee caused by a blast fragment sustained during combat operations. The patient was able to return to active duty following rehabilitation. Methods: An active-duty infantryman sustained an osteochondral lesion of the medial femoral condyle caused by a metallic fragment of an explosively formed projectile. Initial treatment consisted of removal of the foreign body and primary closure. The patient continued to experience pain, mechanical symptoms, and repeated effusions after initial nonoperative treatment. Allograft mosaicplasty of the lesion utilizing two 18-mm-diameter fresh allograft osteochondral plugs was performed at 6 months post-injury. Results: At 2-year follow-up, the patient remains on active duty with marked improvement in symptoms. Two years postoperatively, his outcome scores are 72 of 100 on the Western Ontario and McMaster University osteoarthritis scoring index (WOMAC) and 60 of 100 on the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). His follow-up x-rays and MRI demonstrate intact articular cartilage and subchondral bone incorporation. Conclusion: Penetrating injuries to joints are commonplace in the battlefield environment. Combat injuries to the knee are frequently associated with articular cartilage injury. While numerous cartilage restoration techniques have been used with success for the treatment of osteochondral injuries to the femoral condyles, no published reports describe the use of allograft mosaicplasty in this location for open, penetrating injuries with focal cartilage loss. This is the first documented use of allograft mosaicplasty for a traumatic osteochondral defect of the medial femoral condyle caused by a metallic projectile. The patient was able to return to active duty following rehabilitation. We demonstrate a high level of functioning is possible following allograft mosaicplasty of a large osteochondral lesion caused by penetrating ballistic trauma

Nachweis der thermischen Abbaubarkeit des Kalkinhibitors NC47.1B als Voraussetzung für den Einsatz im bayerischen Molassebecken

In der Metropolregion München soll bis 2040 der gesamte Wärmebedarf klimaneutral gedeckt werden. Ein Großteil dieser Wärme soll aus der tiefen Geothermie kommen. Schon heute werden hier zahlreiche Geothermieanlagen erfolgreich betrieben. Bei Thermalwasserförderraten von >100 l/s und Fördertemperaturen über 100 °C kommt es im bayerischen Molassebecken allerdings vermehrt zur Bildung von mineralischen Ausfällungen, welche den Betrieb und schließlich die Wirtschaftlichkeit beeinträchtigen. Die Ausfällungen bestehen größtenteils aus Carbonaten, weswegen der umweltfreundliche Kalkinhibitor NC47.1B zur Vorbeugung eingesetzt wird. Wirksamkeit und Effizienz des Kalkinhibitors wurden im Forschungsprojekt EvA-M nachgewiesen. Als Voraussetzung für einen dauerhaften Einsatz wird im Nachfolgeprojekt EvA-M 2.0 nun die Umweltverträglichkeit nachgewiesen. Diese setzt sich aus der nicht-toxischen Inhibitorchemie sowie der biologischen und thermischen Abbaubarkeit zusammen. Die thermische Abbaubarkeit soll eine potenzielle Bioakkumulation in der Injektionsbohrung und dem Reservoir verhindern. Langzeitlaborversuche in hermetischen Glasampullen und Kurzzeitversuche in Headspace-Vials mit inhibitorversetztem Thermalwasser, die beide ein anaerobes geschlossenes System darstellen, wurden durchgeführt. Die Differenzierung zwischen thermischem und mikrobiellem Abbau erfolgte durch die parallele Präparation von Niedrig- (15 - 25 °C) und Hochtemperaturversuchsreihen (115 °C) sowie dem Einsatz eines Biozids und Sterilfiltration. Die Versuchszeiträume variierten von 16 h bis zu 6 Monaten. Durch die Auswertung mittels Hochleistungsflüssigkeitschromatographie konnte der thermische Abbau innerhalb von Stunden zu einem Zwischenprodukt festgestellt werden, welches nach 3 Wochen vollständig thermisch abgebaut war. Durch den nachgewiesenen thermischen Abbau kann nun eine langfristige Nutzungslizenz der Kraftwerksbetreiber beantragt werden

Large-Volume Liquid Scintillation Counting of Carbon-14

Efforts have been undertaken to further improve the relatively simple technique of low-level liquid scintillation counting of 14C. Two different approaches have been made. By synthesizing more benzene for 14C measurement than usual (with up to 19.5g of carbon) an experimental detection limit of about 0.1 percent modern has been achieved (97.5% confidence level, 1000 min). Absorption of CO2 with up to 5.3g of carbon in 160ml of an absorbent-scintillation solution and counting in a special measuring chamber resulted in an experimental detection limit of about 1 percent modern, with the sample preparation taking only 1 hour. The detection limits achieved by the two techniques correspond to 14C ages of about 55,000 and 35,000 years BP, respectively.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202