Drone control and monitoring by means of a web application

The project aims to design and implement a software framework for controlling and monitoring drones through a web application, built using the Vue.js framework. With this, I offer a contribution to the Drone Engineering Ecosystem (DEE) , an ecosystem dedicated to the control and monitoring of drones through different technologies in which students of the EETAC, a university that belongs to the UPC, can contribute and enhance the ecosystem while doing their bachelor or masters degree final project. Currently, there is a desktop application in the ecosystem that does the tasks of drone monitoring, control and mission planning. However, as the technology evolves, there is a need for web app as the advantages of a web platform for drone control and monitoring are numerous and compelling. The main benefit is the enhanced accessibility as the only needs are Internet connection and a browser, that no matter whether it is in the laptop, tablet or on a smartphone. As technology continues to evolve, web applications undoubtedly stand at the forefront of innovation in all domains. So, the focus of this project is to provide a web platform for drone controlling and monitoring. The culmination emerges as a remarkably professional and contemporary web application that empowers the user with countless levels of control over drone operations. Notably, users have the freedom to decide the drone's movements and actions, ensuring a seamless and intuitive interface that facilitates effortless navigation. The capabilities extend beyond mere control, as users can devise a diverse range of missions. One standout attribute is the ability to create geofences, a vital tool for ensuring safe and responsible drone operations. Moreover, the web app enables users to fine tune drone's flying parameters. This level of customization guarantees that the drone's performance aligns precisely with the intended goals. The outcome of the efforts yield a high level of satisfaction as the web platform has been successfully built, enhancing the basic functionalities of the desktop application while introducing additional features. However, the broader implication is that the Drone Engineering Ecosystem now boasts a new platform for drone control and monitoring. This achievement marks a significant stride forward for the DEE.Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i Infraestructur

Hibris, a Drosophila Nephrin Homolog, Is Required for Presenilin-Mediated Notch and APP-like Cleavages

SummaryDrosophila Hibris (Hbs), a member of the Nephrin Immunoglobulin Super Family, has been implicated in myogenesis and eye patterning. Here, we uncover a role of Hbs in Notch (N) signaling and γ-secretase processing. Loss of hbs results in classical N-signaling-associated phenotypes in Drosophila, including eye patterning, wing margin, and sensory organ specification defects. In particular, hbs mutant larvae display altered γ-secretase-dependent Notch proteolytic processing. Hbs also interacts molecularly and genetically with Presenilin (Psn) and other components of the γ-secretase complex. This Hbs function appears conserved, as mammalian Nephrin also promotes N signaling in mammalian cells. Our data suggest that Hbs is required for Psn maturation. Consistent with its role in Psn processing, Hbs genetically interacts with the Drosophila β-amyloid protein precursor-like (Appl) protein, the homolog of mammalian APP, the cleavage of which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Thus, Hbs/Nephrin appear to share a general requirement in Psn/γ-secretase regulation and associated processes

Dynamic bandwidth scheduling and burst construction algorithm for downlink in (4G) mobile WiMAX networks

Advanced wireless systems, also called fourth generation (4G) wireless systems, such as Mobile Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), are developed to provide broadband wireless access in true sense. Therefore, it becomes mandatory for such kind of systems to provide Quality of Service (QoS) support for wide range of applications. In such types of systems, wireless base stations are responsible for distributing proper amount of bandwidth among different mobile users, thus satisfying a user’s QoS requirements. The task of distributing proper amount of bandwidth rests upon a scheduling algorithm, typically executed at the base station. 2G and 3G wireless systems are able to provide only voice, low data rate, and delay insensitive services, such as Web browsing. This is due to the lack of development in digital modulation and multiple access schemes, which are two major aspects of physical layer of these systems. Digital modulation is used to combat with location-dependent channel errors which get introduced in the data transmitted by base station on a wireless channel to a mobile station. Hence, different locations of every mobile station in a cell coverage area require different modulation and coding schemes for error-free transmission. Link adaptation is a technique that makes the use of variable modulation and coding schemes possible, according to varying location of mobile stations. This technique is used by 4G systems to achieve error free transmissions. 2G and 3G systems are not capable of achieving error-free transmissions in many cases due to significantly fewer or no choice of modulation and coding schemes for different locations of mobile stations. In such cases, most of the time, wireless channel is either error-prone or error-free for mobile station. Scheduling algorithms developed for 2G and 3G systems focussed on providing long term average rate requirements of users, which are satisfied at the expense of zero transmission for mobile users experiencing bad or error prone channel. This approach was adopted to achieve efficient use of wireless channel capacity. This was the best approach adopted by majority of scheduling algorithms because delay sensitive applications were not supported in such systems and hence bounded delay was not a matter of concern. Hence, the majority of the algorithms focussed on providing long term average rate requirements while maximizing cell throughput. This helped in making efficient use of wireless channel capacity at the expense of zero transmission for mobile users experiencing bad channel and compromising delay performance. These approaches, however, will not be suitable for 4G systems as such systems support wide range of applications ranging from delay-insensitive to highly delay-sensitive. Hence in this thesis, a dynamic bandwidth scheduling algorithm called Leaky Bucket Token Bank (LBTB) is proposed. This algorithm exploits some advanced features of 4G systems, like link adaptation and multiple access scheme, to achieve long term average rate requirements for delay-insensitive applications and bounded delay for delay-sensitive applications. Advanced features of 4G systems also bring more challenges. One such challenge is Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), a multiple access scheme deployed in 4G systems. In OFDMA, scheduled data for different mobile stations is packed into bursts and mapped to a two dimensional structure of time and frequency, called OFDMA frame. It has been observed that the way bursts are mapped to OFDMA frame affects the wakeup time of mobile stations receiving data and therefore causes power consumption. Wakeup time is the time duration in OFDMA frame for which the mobile station becomes active. Since OFDMA frame is a limited and precious radio resource, the efficient use of such radio resource is necessary. Efficient use requires that the wastage of such radio resource be minimized. Hence in this thesis, a burst construction algorithm called Burst Construction for Fairness in Power (BCFP) is also proposed. The algorithm attempts to achieve fairness in power consumption of different mobile stations by affecting their wakeup time. It also attempts to minimize wastage of radio resources. For comparing the performance of joint proposed algorithms (LBTB+BCFP), the proposed burst construction algorithm (BCFP) is joined to the two other existing scheduling algorithms namely: Token Bank Fair Queuing (TBFQ) and Adaptive Token Bank Fair Queuing (ATBFQ). TBFQ is an algorithm developed for 3G wireless networks whereas, ATBFQ is an extension to the TBFQ and is developed for 4G wireless networks. Therefore, the performance of the proposed algorithms jointly together (LBTB+BCFP) is compared with the joint TBFQ and proposed burst construction algorithm (TBFQ+BCFP), as well as joint ATBFQ and proposed burst construction algorithm (ATBFQ+BCFP). We compare the performance in terms of average queuing delay, average cell throughput, packet loss, fairness among different mobile users, fairness in average wakeup times (average power consumption), and fraction of radio resources wasted. The performance of proposed burst construction algorithm (BCFP) is also compared with Round Robin algorithm in terms of fairness in average power consumption as well as fraction of radio resources wasted, for varying number of users

Advanced 3D Printing to Fabricate Microfluidic Devices for Cancer and Stem Cells Co-culture Study in Space

Two different type of microfluidic devices were designed, fabricated and tested to capture the microspheres. The passive device seems to be more reliable because of no possibility of damage, whereas the thin film in active device got ruptured when too much pressure was applied to the valve control layer. The passive design was able to capture microspheres of different sizes. Majority of microspheres captured were between 150-175 microns. The capture efficiency for this device was slightly lower than expected at 26%. This was found to be due to the long channel length which leads to pressure drop towards the end of the channel. In addition, capturing of microspheres causes high resistance to flow towards the end of channel. To the best of my knowledge, this is a first kind of device to capture microspheres at this size range of 125-215 microns. The proof of concept for capturing large particle size >100um and broad size distribution has been demonstrated. The device will be further improved by optimizing the dimensions

Advanced 3D Printing to Fabricate Microfluidic Devices for Cancer and Stem Cells Co-culture Study in Space

Two different type of microfluidic devices were designed, fabricated and tested to capture the microspheres. The passive device seems to be more reliable because of no possibility of damage, whereas the thin film in active device got ruptured when too much pressure was applied to the valve control layer. The passive design was able to capture microspheres of different sizes. Majority of microspheres captured were between 150-175 microns. The capture efficiency for this device was slightly lower than expected at 26%. This was found to be due to the long channel length which leads to pressure drop towards the end of the channel. In addition, capturing of microspheres causes high resistance to flow towards the end of channel. To the best of my knowledge, this is a first kind of device to capture microspheres at this size range of 125-215 microns. The proof of concept for capturing large particle size >100um and broad size distribution has been demonstrated. The device will be further improved by optimizing the dimensions

SOLUBILITY ENHANCEMENT BY SOLID DISPERSION METHOD: A REVIEW

Solid dispersions have attracted considerable interest as an efficient means of improving the dissolution rate and hence bioavailability of a range of hydrotrophic drugs.  Up to 40% of new chemical entities discovered by the pharmaceutical industry today are poorly soluble or lipophilic compounds. Solid dispersions of poorly water-soluble drugs with water-soluble carriers reduce the incidence of these problems and enhanced dissolution. Solid dispersion is one of the most promising approaches for solubility enhancement. The term solid dispersion refers to a group of solid products consisting of at least two different components, generally a hydrophilic matrix and a hydrophobic drug. The matrix can be either crystalline or amorphous. As per biopharmaceutical classification system class II drugs are with low solubility and high permeability and are the promising candidates for improvement of bioavailability by solid dispersion. Some of the practical aspects to be considered for the preparation of solid dispersions, such as selection of carrier, molecular arrangement of drugs in solid dispersions are discussed in this article. This article reviews the various preparation techniques for solid dispersion, characterization and compiles some of the recent technology transfers. Availability of a wide variety of polymers that are themselves poorly soluble or which swell under aqueous conditions suggests that solid dispersions have tremendous potential in the area of controlled release dosage forms. Keywords: Solid dispersions, solubility, carrier, Biopharmaceutical classification systemÂ