Distributed microprocessors in a tactical universal modem

The distributed microprocessor system associated with a wideband signal conversion unit (WBSCU) is described. Multiple embedded 8086 and 2901 microprocessors, supported by dedicated hardware modules, perform the required real time operations for both transmit and receive functions. Commands from a host computer determine the configuration of the WBSCU via the IEEE 488 bus. Each of the four WBSCU channels is assigned to process a specified IF waveform; each channel configures its own resources and, in some cases, borrows resources from other channels. The processed waveform data is communicated from individual channels to redundant global memories. Data flow between the user community and global memories occurs via redundant 1553 buses through intelligent Bus Interface Units. Each WBSCU channel contains one 2901 bit slice machine and one 8086 microprocessor. The 2901 provides high speed processing capability for the most time critical operations. The 8086 is used for lower speed processing tasks where its high level language capability can be better exploited. Each 8086 has a global bus for wideband interprocessor communication, and a local bus for 8086/2901, master/slave communication. Software architecture consists of a control and communications structure governing mode dependent signal processing tasks

Implementation of ETX Metric within the AODV Protocol in the NS-3 Simulator

Modern life cannot be imagined without wireless ad hoc networks (WANETs). People use, in a daily manner, smart phones, laptops or tablet computers. With an increasing number of users of WANETs, the need for a fast throughput and small delay is increasing as well. One efficient way to provide users with such demands is to find an optimal route between source and destination node. Therefore, many routing protocols and metrics for WANETs are proposed in last decades. It is very important to test performances of the proposed protocols in various network scenarios. The computer simulation is a very efficient way to test routing protocols and to evaluate their significance and practical value. One of the most recent but very frequently used discrete-event network simulators is Network Simulator 3 (NS-3). In order to contribute to the NS-3 simulator development, an implementation of one of the most commonly used metric in WANET protocols the expected transmission count (ETX) is proposed in this paper. ETX metric is implemented within an ad-hoc on demand distance vector (AODV) protocol. The source code of this implementation is publicly available

Flourishing workplaces: a multisensory approach to design and POE

How can we design workplaces which occupants thrive in, which are functional but are also expressive? Drawing on research about the senses and office related studies this paper demonstrates how buildings can be designed to allow for positive multi-sensory experiences. In order to design a creative and productive workplace, it is essential to consider how the environment is making us feel, behave and act within it. As the workplace continues to evolve, the case is made for a sensory palette framework to drive a systems approach to building environmental design enabling the integration of the multi-modal sensory relationship of people’s reactions within various environmental settings. Technological advances, in the form of wearables that monitor our physiological and stress responses offer the opportunity to capture empirical data, further enabling the investigation to see how a diverse range of environmental settings affect our physical, mental and social wellbeing. The paper goes on to develop the established conceptual theories of ‘Flourish’ proposing a move beyond comfort when designing the interiors and the mechanics of facility controls towards a sensory impacts framework that considers a whole life costing approach using the Flourish Model sets the basis for a design and post-occupancy evaluation toolkit

Application of Consensus Scoring and Principal Component Analysis for Virtual Screening against β-Secretase (BACE-1)

BACKGROUND: In order to identify novel chemical classes of β-secretase (BACE-1) inhibitors, an alternative scoring protocol, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), was proposed to summarize most of the information from the original scoring functions and re-rank the results from the virtual screening against BACE-1. METHOD: Given a training set (50 BACE-1 inhibitors and 9950 inactive diverse compounds), three rank-based virtual screening methods, individual scoring, conventional consensus scoring and PCA, were judged by the hit number in the top 1% of the ranked list. The docking poses were generated by Surflex, five scoring functions (Surflex_Score, D_Score, G_Score, ChemScore, and PMF_Score) were used for pose extraction. For each pose group, twelve scoring functions (Surflex_Score, D_Score, G_Score, ChemScore, PMF_Score, LigScore1, LigScore2, PLP1, PLP2, jain, Ludi_1, and Ludi_2) were used for the pose rank. For a test set, 113,228 chemical compounds (Sigma-Aldrich® corporate chemical directory) were docked by Surflex, then ranked by the same three ranking methods motioned above to select the potential active compounds for experimental test. RESULTS: For the training set, the PCA approach yielded consistently superior rankings compared to conventional consensus scoring and single scoring. For the test set, the top 20 compounds according to conventional consensus scoring were experimentally tested, no inhibitor was found. Then, we relied on PCA scoring protocol to test another different top 20 compounds and two low micromolar inhibitors (S450588 and 276065) were emerged through the BACE-1 fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay. CONCLUSION: The PCA method extends the conventional consensus scoring in a quantitative statistical manner and would appear to have considerable potential for chemical screening applications

Make No Little Plans: Designing the Chicago Lakefront in a Virtual Reality Environment

Architects have always needed somewhere to draw. History has seen dirt, stone, wood, and paper each serve in turn as the architectis medium. Every technological advance has helped to manifest these exploratory visions in ever-increasing fidelity, while influencing the way in which the design process is conducted. Computer technology is the latest step in this progression, adding a third dimension to the architectis drawings. Programs like formiZ, 3DS max, etc. allow the architect to build lifelike models and take clients on fly-throughs. Now, virtual reality has advanced architectural drawing to “full body design”, letting architects experience their creations, rather than just seeing those creations in front of them. ShadowLight-Mirage offers a unique environment in virtual reality in which to create rich ambiances of vibrancy, vitality and vigor

Pregled metrika rutiranja za višekanalne višeinterfejsne bežične mesh mreže / Survey of routing metrics for multi channel multi interface wireless mesh networks / Обзор показателей маршрутизации для многоканальных мульти-интерфейсных ячеистых сетей

Bežične mesh mreže – WMNs (Wireless Mesh Networks) predstavljaju noviji trend u bežičnim komunikacijama kojim se obezbeđuju veća fleksibilnost, pouzdanost i bolje performanse nego standardnim bežičnim lokalnim mrežama. Imajući u vidu sve veće potrebe korisnika za brzim i efikasnim prenosom podataka, povećanje protoka, ostvareno uvođenjem višekanalnih višeinterfejsnih – MCMI (Multi-Channel Multi-Interface) WMNs, predstavlja glavni izazov u projektovanju WMNs. Kako bi se ostvarile što bolje mrežne performanse neophodno je definisati protokole i metrike rutiranja kojima se određuje optimalna putanja između izvorišnog i odredišnog čvora. S obzirom na to da WMN karakteriše velika dinamika signala, posebno kada se realizuju u kompleksnim okruženjima kakva su zatvoreni objekti, neophodno je definisati metrike rutiranja koje mogu da isprate brze promene uslova propagacije koje se dešavaju na svakom pojedinačnom linku u mreži. U ovom radu predstavljen je kritički osvrt na najpoznatije metrike rutiranja za MCMI bežične mesh mreže. Navedeni su osnovni kriterijumi za formiranje metrika rutiranja, kao što su: interferencija, količina informacija, opterećenje linka, agilnost, stabilnost i sposobnost praćenja brzih promena na svakom linku. Opisani su i novi trendovi u razvoju metrika rutiranja za bežične mesh mreže, kao i poređenje opisanih metrika u skladu sa prethodno pomenutim kriterijumima. Na kraju rada predstavljena su zaključna razmatranja. / WMNs (Wireless Mesh Networks) represent a new trend in wireless communications, providing greater flexibility, reliability and better network performances than standard WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks). Having in mind a need for more efficient and faster data transmission, one of the greatest challenges in designing WMNs is to provide greater throughput. This is done by introducing networks the nodes of which have multiple interfaces that can work on one of multiple channels (the channel is chosen by a predefined algorithm), so-called Multi-Channel Multi-Interface (MCMI) WMNs. In order to provide better network performances, it is necessary to define routing protocols and metrics used to find and select the optimal route from the source to the destination node. Since WMNs are characterised by a high dynamic range of the received signal level, especially when they are realized in complex environments such as indoors, it is necessary to define routing metrics that can follow these fast changes in propagation conditions that occur in each link in the network. This paper presents a critical review of the most well-known routing metrics for MCMI-WMNs. / Беспроводные ячеистые сети - WMNs (Wireless Mesh Networks) являются новой тенденцией в области беспроводной связи, которые предоставляют большую гибкость, надежность и лучшую производительность, чем стандартные беспроводные локальные сети. Учитывая растущий спрос на быстрый и эффективный способ передачи данных, увеличение траффика осуществлено путем введения многоканальных мульти-интерфейсных ячеистых сетей –MCMI (Multi-Channel Multi-Interface) WMNs. Для того, чтобы достичь максимально возможной производительности сети необходимо определить протоколы маршрутизации и метрик, которые определяют оптимальный путь между источником и узлом назначения. Учитывая, что WMN характеризуется высокой динамикой сигнала, особенно при реализации в сложных условиях (например в закрытых помещениях), необходимо определить показатели маршрутизации, которые не могут справиться с быстрыми изменениями условий распространения, которые происходят на каждой линии в сети. Эта статья редставляет собой критический обзор наиболее известных метрик MCMI маршрутизации для беспроводных ячеистых сетей. Таковы основные критерии формирования маршрутизации по таким показателям, как помехи, объем информации, загруженность линии, маневренность, стабильность и способность отслеживать быстрые изменения в каждом узле. Описаны новые тенденции в развитии показателей маршрутизации для беспроводных ячеистых сетей, а также сравнения метрик, описанных в соответствии с вышеупомянутыми критериями. В заключении автор представляет итоговые замечания

Predictors of three dose on-time compliance with HPV4 vaccination in a disadvantaged, underserved, safety net population in the US Midwest.

HPV4 is approved as a series of three timed doses expected to result in efficacy against specific HPV infections. Completion rates in the US are quite low at the same time the structure of health care delivery is changing. The aim of this study was to determine how the patient-, clinic- and systems-level characteristics facilitate or hinder the timely completion of three HPV4 doses in both adolescent and adult female populations in a high-risk safety net population.This is a retrospective study in which patient-, clinic- and systems-level data are abstracted from the electronic medical record (EMR) for all females 10-26 years of age receiving at least one dose of HPV4 between July 1, 2006 and October 1, 2009.Adults were more likely to complete the three dose series if they had at least one health care visit in addition to their HPV4 visit, (aOR = 1.54 (95% CI:1.10, 2.15). Adults were less likely to complete the three dose series if they received their second HPV4 dose at an acute health care, preventive care or postpartum visits compared to an HPV4-only visit (aOR = 0.31 (95% CI: 0.13, 0.72), 0.12 (0.04, 0.35), 0.30 (0.14, 0.62), respectively). Hispanic adults were less likely than whites to complete the series (aOR = 0.24 (95% CI:0.10, 0.59). 39% of adolescents who completed two doses completed the series.HPV4 is more likely to be effectively administered to adults in a safety net population if multiple health care needs can be met within the health care system