Split Distributed Computing in Wireless Sensor Networks

We designed a novel method intended to improve the performance of distributed computing in wireless sensor networks. Our proposed method is designed to rapidly increase the speed of distributed computing and decrease the number of the messages required for a network to achieve the desired result. In our analysis, we chose Average consensus algorithm. In this case, the desired result is that every node achieves the average value calculated from all the initial values in the reduced number of iterations. Our method is based on the idea that a fragmentation of a network into small geographical structures which execute distributed calculations in parallel significantly affects the performance

Measurement of global polarization of {\Lambda} hyperons in few-GeV heavy-ion collisions

The global polarization of {\Lambda} hyperons along the total orbital angular momentum of a relativistic heavy-ion collision is presented based on the high statistics data samples collected in Au+Au collisions at \sqrt{s_{NN}} = 2.4 GeV and Ag+Ag at 2.55 GeV with the High-Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES) at GSI, Darmstadt. This is the first measurement below the strangeness production threshold in nucleon-nucleon collisions. Results are reported as a function of the collision centrality as well as a function of the hyperon transverse momentum (p_T) and rapidity (y_{CM}) for the range of centrality 0--40%. We observe a strong centrality dependence of the polarization with an increasing signal towards peripheral collisions. For mid-central (20--40%) collisions the polarization magnitudes are (%) = 6.0 \pm 1.3 (stat.) \pm 2.0 (syst.) for Au+Au and (%) = 4.6 \pm 0.4 (stat.) \pm 0.5 (syst.) for Ag+Ag, which are the largest values observed so far. This observation thus provides a continuation of the increasing trend previously observed by STAR and contrasts expectations from recent theoretical calculations predicting a maximum in the region of collision energies about 3 GeV. The observed polarization is of a similar magnitude as predicted by 3D fluid dynamics and the UrQMD plus thermal vorticity model and significantly above results from the AMPT model.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Distributed Aggregate Function Estimation by Biphasically Configured Metropolis-Hasting Weight Model

An energy-efficient estimation of an aggregate function can significantly optimize a global event detection or monitoring in wireless sensor networks. This is probably the main reason why an optimization of the complementary consensus algorithms is one of the key challenges of the lifetime extension of the wireless sensor networks on which the attention of many scientists is paid. In this paper, we introduce an optimized weight model for the average consensus algorithm. It is called the Biphasically configured Metropolis-Hasting weight model and is based on a modification of the Metropolis-Hasting weight model by rephrasing the initial configuration into two parts. The first one is the default configuration of the Metropolis-Hasting weight model, while, the other one is based on a recalculation of the weights allocated to the adjacent nodes’ incoming values at the cost of decreasing the value of the weights of the inner states. The whole initial configuration is executed in a fully-distributed manner. In the experimental section, it is proven that our optimized weight model significantly optimizes the Metropolis-Hasting weight model in several aspects and achieves better results compared with other concurrent weight models

Assessment of wear and periacetabular osteolysis using dual energy computed tomography on a pig cadaver to identify the lowest acceptable radiation dose

Objectives Computed tomography (CT) plays an important role in evaluating wear and periacetabular osteolysis (PAO) in total hip replacements. One concern with CT is the high radiation exposure since standard pelvic CT provides approximately 3.5 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation exposure, whereas a planar radiographic examination with three projections totals approximately 0.5 mSv. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lowest acceptable radiation dose for dual-energy CT (DECT) images when measuring wear and periacetabular osteolysis in uncemented metal components. Materials and Methods A porcine pelvis with bilateral uncemented hip prostheses and with known linear wear and acetabular bone defects was examined in a third-generation multidetector DECT scanner. The examinations were performed with four different radiation levels both with and without iterative reconstruction techniques. From the high and low peak kilo voltage acquisitions, polychrmoatic images were created together with virtual monochromatic images of energies 100 kiloelectron volts (keV) and 150 keV. Results We could assess wear and PAO while substantially lowering the effective radiation dose to 0.7 mSv for a total pelvic view with an accuracy of around 0.5 mm for linear wear and 2 mm to 3 mm for PAO. Conclusion CT for detection of prosthetic wear and PAO could be used with clinically acceptable accuracy at a radiation exposure level equal to plain radiographic exposures

Decompression alone or decompression with fusion for lumbar spinal stenosis : a randomized clinical trial with two-year MRI follow-up

Aims: The aims of this study were first, to determine if adding fusion to a decompression of the lumbar spine for spinal stenosis decreases the rate of radiological restenosis and/or proximal adjacent level stenosis two years after surgery, and second, to evaluate the change in vertebral slip two years after surgery with and without fusion. Methods: The Swedish Spinal Stenosis Study (SSSS) was conducted between 2006 and 2012 at five public and two private hospitals. Six centres participated in this two--year MRI follow--up. We randomized 222 patients with central lumbar spinal stenosis at one or two adjacent levels into two groups, decompression alone and decompression with fusion. The presence or absence of a preoperative spondylolisthesis was noted. A new stenosis on two--year MRI was used as the primary outcome, defined as a dural sac cross--sectional area = 75 mm2 at the operated level (restenosis) and/or at the level above (proximal adjacent level stenosis). Results: A total of 211 patients underwent surgery at a mean age of 66 years (69% female): 103 were treated by decompression with fusion and 108 by decompression alone. A two--year MRI was available for 176 (90%) of the eligible patients. A new stenosis at the operated and/or adjacent level occurred more frequently after decompression and fusion than after decompression alone (47% vs 29%; p = 0.020). The difference remained in the subgroup with a preoperative spondylolisthesis, (48% vs 24%; p = 0.020), but did not reach significance for those without (45% vs 35%; p = 0.488). Proximal adjacent level stenosis was more common after fusion than after decompression alone (44% vs 17%; p < 0.001). Restenosis at the operated level was less frequent after fusion than decompression alone (4% vs 14%; p = 0.036). Vertebral slip increased by 1.1 mm after decompression alone, regardless of whether a preoperative spondylolisthesis was present or not. Conclusion: Adding fusion to a decompression increased the rate of new stenosis on two--year MRI, even when a spondylolisthesis was present preoperatively. This supports decompression alone as the preferred method of surgery for spinal stenosis, whether or not a degenerative spondylolisthesis is present preoperatively