A Distributed Game-Theoretic Solution for Power Management in the Uplink of Cell-Free Systems

This paper investigates cell-free massive multiple input multiple output systems with a particular focus on uplink power allocation. In these systems, uplink power control is highly non-trivial, since a single user terminal is associated with multiple intended receiving base stations. In addition, in cell-free systems, distributed power control schemes that address the inherent spectral and energy efficiency targets are desirable. By utilizing tools from game theory, we formulate our proposal as a noncooperative game, and using the best-response dynamics, we obtain a distributed power control mechanism. To ensure that this power control game converges to a Nash equilibrium, we apply the theory of potential games. Differently from existing gamebased schemes, interestingly, our proposed potential function has a scalar parameter that controls the power usage of the users. Numerical results confirm that the proposed approach improves the use of the energy stored in the battery of user terminals and balances between spectral and energy efficiency.Comment: Accepted at IEEE Globecom 202

Isolation and Phase-Space Energization Analysis of the Instabilities in Collisionless Shocks

We analyze the generation of kinetic instabilities and their effect on the energization of ions in non-relativistic, oblique collisionless shocks using a 3D-3V simulation by $\texttt{dHybridR}$, a hybrid particle-in-cell code. At sufficiently high Mach number, quasi-perpendicular and oblique shocks can experience rippling of the shock surface caused by kinetic instabilities arising from free energy in the ion velocity distribution due to the combination of the incoming ion beam and the population of ions reflected at the shock front. To understand the role of the ripple on particle energization, we devise the new instability isolation method to identify the unstable modes underlying the ripple and interpret the results in terms of the governing kinetic instability. We generate velocity-space signatures using the field-particle correlation technique to look at energy transfer in phase space from the isolated instability driving the shock ripple, providing a viewpoint on the different dynamics of distinct populations of ions in phase space. We generate velocity-space signatures of the energy transfer in phase space of the isolated instability driving the shock ripple using the field-particle correlation technique. Together, the field-particle correlation technique and our new instability isolation method provide a unique viewpoint on the different dynamics of distinct populations of ions in phase space and allow us to completely characterize the energetics of the collisionless shock under investigation.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, accepted by the Journal of Plasma Physic

DRUG UTILIZATION STUDY OF FLUOROQUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS IN A UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL

It is well known that antibiotics are prescribed abundantly in hospitalized patients especially in critical care settings. The antibiotic usage will also vary depends on the type of therapy, physicians perceptions and availability of the drug. Our aim was to study the drug utilization pattern of Fluoroquinolone (FQs) antibiotics in medicine and surgery wards of a tertiary care hospital. A total of 100 patients who received FQs were enrolled in the study and the FQ utilization was measured in terms of DDD/100 bed days. Mean ± SD number of drugs prescribed and length of hospital stay were 8.23 ± 3.33 and 11.54 ± 7.57 respectively. Ciprofloxacin was the most commonly prescribed drug. Overall Fluoroquinolone utilization was found to be 33.55 DDD/100 bed-days. Key words: Defined daily dose, drug utilization, fluoroquinolones

TESLA-X: An effective method to search for sub-threshold lensed gravitational waves with a targeted population model

Strong gravitational lensing can produce copies of gravitational-wave signals from the same source with the same waveform morphologies but different amplitudes and arrival times. Some of these strongly-lensed gravitational-wave signals can be demagnified and become sub-threshold. We present TESLA-X, an enhanced approach to the original GstLAL-based TargetEd Subthreshold Lensing seArch (TESLA) method, for improving the detection efficiency of these potential sub-threshold lensed signals. TESLA-X utilizes lensed injections to generate a targeted population model and a targeted template bank. We compare the performance of a full template bank search, TESLA, and TESLA-X methods via a simulation campaign, and demonstrate the performance of TESLA-X in recovering lensed injections, particularly targeting a mock event. Our results show that the TESLA-X method achieves a maximum of $\sim 20\%$ higher search sensitivity compared to the TESLA method within the sub-threshold regime, presenting a step towards detecting the first lensed gravitational wave. TESLA-X will be employed for the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA's collaboration-wide analysis to search for lensing signatures in the fourth observing run

A RETROSPECTIVE CLINICAL BASED STUDY OF MALARIA IN A UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL

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Phase Space Energization of Ions in Oblique Shocks

Examining energization of kinetic plasmas in phase space is a growing topic of interest, owing to the wealth of data in phase space compared to traditional bulk energization diagnostics. Via the field-particle correlation (FPC) technique and using multiple means of numerically integrating the plasma kinetic equation, we have studied the energization of ions in phase space within oblique collisionless shocks. The perspective afforded to us with this analysis in phase space allows us to characterize distinct populations of energized ions. In particular, we focus on ions which reflect multiple times off the shock front through shock-drift acceleration, and how to distinguish these different reflected populations in phase space using the FPC technique. We further extend our analysis to simulations of three-dimensional shocks undergoing more complicated dynamics, such as shock ripple, to demonstrate the ability to recover the phase space signatures of this energization process in a more general system. This work thus extends previous applications of the FPC technique to more realistic collisionless shock environments, providing stronger evidence of the technique's utility for simulation, laboratory, and spacecraft analysis.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Catalyst stabilization by stoichiometrically limited layer-by-layer overcoating in liquid media

The use of metal oxide overcoats over supported nanoparticle catalysts has recently led to impressive improvements in catalyst stability and selectivity. The deposition of alumina is especially important for renewable catalysis due to its robustness in liquid-phase conditions. However, there are limited reports of work on alumina deposition and stabilization that goes beyond atomic layer deposition (ALD). Here, we present a layer-by-layer deposition technique for the controlled formation of conformal alumina overcoats in the liquid phase. This technique is easy to perform in common wet chemistry conditions. Alternated exposure of the substrate to stoichiometric amounts of aluminum alkoxide and water in liquid-phase conditions leads to the formation of a porous overcoat that was easily tunable by varying synthesis parameters. The deposition of 60 Al2O3 layers onto Al2O3-supported copper nanoparticles suppressed irreversible deactivation during the liquid-phase hydrogenation of furfural – a key biomass-derived platform molecule. The porous overcoat leads to highly accessible metal sites, which significantly reduces the partial site blocking observed in equivalent overcoats formed by ALD. We suggest that the ease of scalability and the high degree of control over the overcoat’s properties during liquid-phase synthesis could facilitate the development of new catalyst overcoating applications

The AT04A vaccine against proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 reduces total cholesterol, vascular inflammation, and atherosclerosis in APOE*3Leiden.CETP mice

Cardiolog