Vehicular Networks with Infrastructure: Modeling, Simulation and Testbed

This thesis focuses on Vehicular Networks with Infrastructure. In the examined scenarios, vehicular nodes (e.g., cars, buses) can communicate with infrastructure roadside units (RSUs) providing continuous or intermittent coverage of an urban road topology. Different aspects related to the design of new applications for Vehicular Networks are investigated through modeling, simulation and testing on real field. In particular, the thesis: i) provides a feasible multi-hop routing solution for maintaining connectivity among RSUs, forming the wireless mesh infrastructure, and moving vehicles; ii) explains how to combine the UHF and the traditional 5-GHz bands to design and implement a new high-capacity high-efficiency Content Downloading using disjoint control and service channels; iii) studies new RSUs deployment strategies for Content Dissemination and Downloading in urban and suburban scenarios with different vehicles mobility models and traffic densities; iv) defines an optimization problem to minimize the average travel delay perceived by the drivers, spreading different traffic flows over the surface roads in a urban scenario; v) exploits the concept of Nash equilibrium in the game-theory approach to efficiently guide electric vehicles drivers' towards the charging stations. Moreover, the thesis emphasizes the importance of using realistic mobility models, as well as reasonable signal propagation models for vehicular networks. Simplistic assumptions drive to trivial mathematical analysis and shorter simulations, but they frequently produce misleading results. Thus, testing the proposed solutions in the real field and collecting measurements is a good way to double-check the correctness of our studie

Utilización de monensina y hormonas reproductivas para mejorar las tasas de preñez en vacas para carne con cría al pie en el semiárido Argentino

Tesis (Magister en Ciencias Agropecuarias. Mención en Reproducción Bovina)--UNC- Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias ; Instituto de Reproducción Animal Córdoba, 2013.Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron evaluar el efecto de la monensina y su combinación con hormonas reproductivas sobre la tasa de preñez, los porcentajes de ciclicidad, la concentración de hormonas en sangre (hormona de crecimiento, insulina y factor de crecimiento similar a la insulina tipo I) y evaluar el efecto de la cápsula de monensina sobre el metabolismo ruminal. El experimento fue llevado a cabo en dos temporadas de servicio (115 días, Año 1 y 135 días, Año 2) en dos rodeos comerciales de cría, que operan en el noroeste de Argentina. Se utilizaron 700 vacas de los cuales se seleccionaron 343. Las mismas se dividieron primeramente en 2 grupos al azar y dos repeticiones, 38 días antes del inicio del servicio. En una estructura factorial de tratamientos. El primer factor fue representado por la administración de moduladores de la fermentación ruminal: sin (M0) y con cápsula de monensina (M1) y luego subdivididos en 4 grupos definitivos, a los que se le asignaron los tratamientos al azar, 8 días previos al comienzo del servicio natural, hasta el final del mismo. Y el segundo factor, compuesto por el uso de hormonas para activar la ciclicidad: sin (H0) y con tratamiento hormonal (H1). Todas las vacas fueron expuestas a un 5% de toros, desde el día 0 al día 120. Se concluyó que el tratamiento M1 manifestó una tendencia positiva en la tasa de ciclicidad, en el año 1, reveló una diferencia significativa en la modificación de la relación acético: propiónico (A: P), favorecida por la mayor producción de propiónico en el día 0, a las 12 horas de pos ingesta donde se obtuvo la menor relación A: P., con dietas de mediana calidad, en base a pasturas. También manifestó las mayores concentraciones de IGF-1 durante todo el periodo de la segunda etapa del experimento. El tratamiento H1, benefició estadísticamente la tasa de preñez, cuando la CC de los vientres al inicio del servicio estuvo en ≤4,28±0,06 = 1-9, durante el año 1 y revelo las concentraciones de insulina más elevadas durante toda la segunda etapa del experimento. Independientemente de los tratamientos, en los primeros 40 días de servicio se preñaron ≥85% de los vientres, tanto en año 1 y 2. El uso de tratamientos hormonales sería una herramienta a utilizar para aumentar la tasa de preñez en vacas con cría al pie y pobre CCThe objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of monensin and its combination with reproductive hormones on the pregnancy rate, the percentage of cyclicity, the blood concentration of hormones (growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin) and to evaluate the effect of the capsule of monensin on ruminal metabolism in beef suckled cows. The experiment was conducted in two breeding seasons (115 days, Year 1 and 135 days, Year 2) in two commercial herds in northwestern Argentina. 700 cows were used from which 343 were selected. Cows were first divided randomly into 2 groups and two repetitions, 38 days before the start of the breeding season. In a factorial arrangement of treatments. The first factor was represented by administering modulators of ruminal fermentation: without (M0) and with monensin capsule (M1) which were assigned randomly, 8 days prior to the beginning of the breeding season. The second factor, consisting of the use of hormones to activate the cyclicity: without (H0) and with hormonal treatment (H1). All cows were exposed to 5% of bulls, from day 0 to day 120. It was concluded that treatment M1 had a positive trend in the rate of cyclicity in year 1. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the change in the ratio acetic acid –propionic acid (A: P), favored by the increased production of propionic acid on day 0 at 12 hours after ingestion, which had the lowest ratio A: P. in medium quality diets based on pasture. The treatment also resulted in higher concentrations of IGF-1 during the second stage of the experiment. The H1 treatment, statistically benefited pregnancy rate when BSC at the beginning of the breeding season was in ≤ 4.28 ± 0.06 = 1-9, in year 1. Insulin concentrations were higher throughout the second stage of the experiment. Regardless of treatment, in the first 40 days of service ≥ 85% became pregnant bellies of both in year 1 and 2. The use of hormonal treatments would be a tool to use to increase the pregnancy rate in suckled cows with poor BSC

Development of an analytical method to determine malondialdehyde as an oxidative marker in cryopreserved bovine semen

Frozen sperm is widely used in artificial insemination of cattle as well as other animal species. As a consequence of the freezing and thawing processes of semen, an excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed. ROS produce oxidative damage in sperm cells affecting both motility and fertility. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is one of the most recognized biomarkers of an advanced oxidative status. MDA was analyzed after its condensation reaction with thiobarbituric acid (TBA); however, other molecules can also react with TBA. In order to determine specifically the MDA–TBA2 condensation product in cryopreserved bovine semen, a sensitive and selective separation strategy was developed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD). This is the first report on MDA determination in bovine semen by a separation method. Different methodological approaches were assayed. Treatment A directly measured total MDA through acidic hydrolysis combined with TBA condensation in a single step. Treatment B evaluated separately the TBA condensation product of free MDA and protein bound MDA after its release with alkaline hydrolysis. The highest concentration of MDA was detected following treatment A. An HPLC method was developed and validated by comparing with the traditional spectrophotometric method. The detection and quantification limits were 0.034 μM and 0.086 μM. The DAD response was linear in the range between 0.086 and 9.1 μM. The recovery was 91%. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were 3.7 and 3.8%, respectively. The proposed HPLC method was markedly more sensitive and more specific than the traditional spectrophotometric one.Fil: Yonny, Melisa Evangelina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero; ArgentinaFil: Reineri, Pablo Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero; ArgentinaFil: Palma, Gustavo Adolfo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Tucumán-Santiago del Estero. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santiago del Estero; ArgentinaFil: Nazareno, Mónica Azucena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero; Argentin

Síntese e caracterização dos coprecipitados de cálcio e alumínio com 8-hidroxiquinolina e avaliação catalítica na reação de transesterificação

The present study aimed to synthesize and evaluate the activity catalytic in the reaction transesterification of the material formed after decomposition thermal of coprecipitated of calcium and aluminum with 8-hydroxyquinoline. The synthesis of the material was performed by method coprecipitation using as agent precipitating 8-hydroxyquinoline. To evaluate the presence of metal calcium and aluminum on the characteristics of the material, we used different percentages of these metals in the synthesis of complexes using the same conditions reaction, with a pH final of 10 to temperature of 25 ºC. After synthesis the complexes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis in synthetic air atmosphere at heating rates of 5 °C, 10 °C and 20 ºC min-1. Through the curves TG, DTA and DTG was found that the presence of metal aluminum promoted process partial of sublimation the material. The materials obtained after analysis thermal were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, not observed changes significant in morphology between the different reasons heating. For review catalytic on reaction transesterification used a ratio molar of acetate ethyl:methanol 1:6, temperature 50 °C, time reaction 1 hour to 1% catalyst, the catalyst being obtained at temperature a calcination of 700 °C with a rate heating 10 ºC min-1. The highest conversion (0.98%) was obtained from the material synthesized with 100% metal calcium in its formulation, but the conversions are low seen partially due to the conditions mild used.O presente estudo teve como objetivo sintetizar, caracterizar e avaliar a atividade catalítica em reação de transesterificação do material formado após a decomposição térmica dos coprecipitados de cálcio e alumínio com 8-hidroxiquinolina. A síntese do material foi realizada por intermédio da metodologia de coprecipitação, utilizando como agente precipitante a 8-hidroxiquinolina. Para avaliar a presença dos metais cálcio e alumínio sobre as caracteristicas do material, utilizou-se variadas porcentagens destes metais na síntese dos complexos, utilizando-se das mesmas condições reacionais, com pH final igual a 10 e temperatura de 25 ºC. Após a síntese os complexos foram caracterizados por microscopia eletrônica de varredura, espectroscopia de infravermelho, e análise térmica em atmosfera de ar sintético nas razões de aquecimento de 5 ºC, 10 ºC e 20 ºC min-1. Por meio das curvas TG, DTG e DTA verificou-se que a presença do metal alumínio promoveu o processo de sublimação parcial do material. Os materiais obtidos após análise térmica foram caracterizados por microscopia eletrônica de varredura, não sendo observado mudanças significativas na morfologia entre as diferentes razões de aquecimento. Para avaliação catalítica na reação de transesterificação utilizou-se uma razão molar acetato de etila:metanol de 1:6, temperatura de 50 ºC, tempo de reação de 1 hora e 1% de catalisador, sendo os catalisadores obtidos à uma temperatura de calcinação de 700 ºC com uma razão de aquecimento de 10 ºC min-1. A maior conversão (0,98%) foi obtida a partir do material sintetizado com 100% de metal cálcio em sua formulação, entretanto as conversões observadas são baixas devido parcialmente as condições brandas utilizadas

A Game-theory Analysis of Charging Stations Selection by EV Drivers

We address the problem of Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers' assistance through Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). Drivers of EVs that are low in battery may ask a navigation service for advice on which charging station to use and which route to take. A rational driver will follow the received advice, provided there is no better choice i.e., in game-theory terms, if such advice corresponds to a Nash-equilibrium strategy. Thus, we model the problem as a game: first we propose a congestion game, then a game with congestion-averse utilities, both admitting at least one pure-strategy Nash equilibrium. The former represents a practical scenario with a high level of realism, although at a high computational price. The latter neglects some features of the real-world scenario but it exhibits very low complexity, and is shown to provide results that, on average, differ by 16% from those obtained with the former approach. Furthermore, when drivers value the trip time most, the average per-EV performance yielded by the Nash equilibria and the one attained by solving a centralized optimization problem that minimizes the EV trip time differ by 15% at most. This is an important result, as minimizing this quantity implies reduced road traffic congestion and energy consumption, as well as higher user satisfaction