Cooperative Coded Data Dissemination for Wireless Sensor Networks

In this poster paper we present a data dissemination transmission abstraction for over the air programming (OAP) protocol which is fundamentally different from the previous hop by hop transmission protocols. Instead of imposing the greedy requirement that at least one node in the ith hop receives all packets before transmitting packets to the next hop and its neighbours, we take advantage of the spatial diversity and broadcast nature of wireless transmission to adopt a cooperative approach in which node broadcast whatever packets it has received with the expectation that it will recover the lost packets with high probability by overhearing the broadcast transmissions of its neighbours. The use of coded transmissions ensures that this does not lead to the broadcast storm problem. We validate the improved performance our of proposed transmission scheme with respect to the previous state of the art OAP protocols on a proof-of-concept two-hops TelosB wireless sensor network testbed.Comment: This paper appears in: 2016 13th Annual IEEE International Conference on Sensing, Communication, and Networking (SECON), London, 2016, pp. 1-

Harvesting Energy from Microbial Fuel Cells and their Impedance Analysis

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

Modeling optimal design parameters of constructed wetlands receiving agricultural runoff

Constructed wetlands intercepting surface runoff from agricultural fields have been shown to act as a nutrient buffer, providing water quality improvements in the runoff water to be deposited safely downstream. Three surface flow wetlands were constructed in the Deer Creek-Clinton Lake sub watershed of the Upper Wakarusa Watershed, in Douglas County, Kansas, as a part of a pilot project to retain and improve runoff water quality from terraced fields with tile outlet runoff. A monitoring study conducted from 2014-15 showed that the wetlands were acting as efficient solids-removal systems. Nitrogen removal results, however, were on the lower end of the performance spectrum with high variation. This study was carried out to model the hydraulic, hydrological and water treatment parameters of the wetlands and to better understand their performance capacity.A custom curve number prediction model incorporating antecedent precipitation and vegetation patterns was developed to estimate the runoff produced from the terraced agricultural watersheds. The standard SCS unit hydrograph method was modified to match the fast-moving tile drained surface runoff. The model was adapted to account for changes in vegetation patterns onsite, which were observed to have a significant impact on the runoff volume. A dynamic wetland water budget model, also developed as part of this work, showed the variability in the performance of the wetlands between dry and wet weather conditions. During wet weather periods of high flows (early May to mid-June), the wetlands acted as flow-through systems with water levels at or above the weir outflow height. Contrarily, during dry weather periods, the water levels fall, and the outflow decreases significantly. These changes in water levels had a direct influence on the hydraulic retention times. A Monte Carlo simulation was developed to evaluate the likely distribution of retention times under different antecedent seasonal conditions. Based on the Monte Carlo analysis, the median retention time was calculated to be less than 4hrs in both wetlands. The 90% retention time was determined to be around 10 hrs, demonstrating the dramatic effect of wet and dry weather conditions. Nutrient removal calculations were performed using a relaxed tank in series model due to the tendency of constructed wetlands to behave as something in between plug flow and well mixed systems. This assessment was combined with Bayesian analysis to evaluate the likely ranges of the predicted nutrient and sediment removal from the wetlands. The calculated reaction rate values were found to be on the lower end of those observed in published literature for similar studies. Modeling results suggest that nitrogen concentrations are likely to decrease by 10-30%, compared to 30-50% for phosphorus and 65-85% for suspended solids, as runoff moves through the wetlands during and after a storm event. Future implementation of the constructed wetlands would significantly benefit from improvements in the wetland design. The presence of tile outlet terraced watersheds with saturated soil conditions demands special considerations for optimal wetland performance. These considerations include smaller than usual watershed to wetland ratio to increase retention time of the runoff water, higher aspect ratio to facilitate the removal of low velocity zones and more aggressive planting practices. Scenarios modeled for the study sites showed that the increase in removal efficiency potential would be the most evident for phosphorus and solids and less for nitrogen concentrations. A tenfold increase in reaction rate parameter was able to achieve an upwards of 50% nitrogen removal but would require significant changes in wetland design and maintenance. Similar improvements can be achieved by decreasing the watershed to wetland ratio to 5:1. Increasing the aspect ratio of the wetlands was not enough to achieve high nitrogen removal efficiencies. This study demonstrates the potential for coupled watershed-wetland models to aid in constructed wetland design. Future improvements in the modeling work could provide even deeper insights into improving wetland performance but would require extensive data collection

Association of serum albumin levels and guillain barre syndrome (gbs) outcome.

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a polyradiculoneuropathy characterized by a rapidly progressive bilateral paresis of the limbs. Nadir is typically reached within a number of days or weeks, followed by a recovery that is generally much slower and often incomplete. Guillain-Barre syndrome is usually preceded by infection or other immune stimulation that induces an aberrant autoimmune response targeting peripheral nerves and their spinal roots.IVIG and Plasmapheresis are used first line treatments in GBS treatment. For better assessment of treatment response, biomarkers reflecting Plasmapheresis and IVIG efficacy are needed. Aim of this study is to determine serum albumin as an independent biomarker for clinical outcome in plasmapheresis treated-GBS patients

Speech results with tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis after total laryngectomy

Objective: To assess the success rate of tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis as the primary mode of voice rehabilitation in patients after total laryngectomy.Methods: Medical record files of 35 patients subjected to total laryngectomy were reviewed for determining success or failure of the voice prosthesis. The indicators used were quality of speech and utility of the device. Subsequent complications that developed were also assessed. In addition other factors taken into consideration were pharyngeal myotomy, use of radiation, and timing of replacement. All thirty five patients (n=35) had prosthesis placed at the time of laryngectomy.Results: The success rate at one month and four months follow up was 85.18%. Of note, 3 patients were lost to follow-up, 3 patients died of disease and 2 had recurrence of disease.CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the effectiveness, longevity and safety of the tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis for speech rehabilitation following total laryngectomy

Enhanced Power Extraction with Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells by Anode Alternation

Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are energy harvesting devices where the anode is buried inside marine sediment, while the cathode stays in an aerobic environment on the surface of the water. To apply this SCMFC as a power source, it is crucial to have an efficient power management system, leading to development of an effective energy harvesting technique suitable for such biological devices. In this work, we demonstrate an effective method to improve power extraction with SMFCs based on anodes alternation. We have altered the setup of a traditional SMFC to include two anodes working with the same cathode. This setup is compared with a traditional setup (control) and a setup that undergoes intermittent energy harvesting, establishing the improvement of energy collection using the anodes alternation technique. Control SMFC produced an average power density of 6.3 mW/m2 and SMFC operating intermittently produced 8.1 mW/m2. On the other hand, SMFC operating using the anodes alternation technique produced an average power density of 23.5 mW/m2. These results indicate the utility of the proposed anodes alternation method over both the control and intermittent energy harvesting techniques. The Anode Alternation can also be viewed as an advancement of the intermittent energy harvesting method

Interleukin-18 polymorphism as an inflammatory index in metabolic syndrome: A preliminary study

Aim: To assess circulatory levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and determine whether the presence of IL-18 promoter polymorphism influences metabolic syndrome phenotypes.Methods: This study recruited one hundred and eighty individuals divided into three groups with sixty subjects each as: Normal weight (18.0-22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23.0-25.9 kg/m2) and obese (\u3e 26.0 kg/m2) according to South Asian criteria of BMI. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), Lipid profile, insulin, IL-18 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha were measured using ELISA kits, whereas low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and insulin sensitivity (QUICKI) were calculated. The body fat percentage (BF) was measured through bioelectrical impedance analysis; waist and hip circumference were measured. Genotyping of IL-18 -607 C/A polymorphism was performed by using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system. Student t test, One-way analysis of variance, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, Pearson\u27s chi2 test and Pearson\u27s correlation were used, where a P value \u3c 0.05 was considered significant.Results: In an aged matched study, obese subjects showed higher levels of FBG, cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels as compared to normal weight (P\u3c 0.001). Highest levels of IL-18 and TNF levels were also seen in obese subjects (IL-18: 58.87 ± 8.59 ng/L) (TNF: 4581.93 ± 2132.05 pg/mL). The percentage of IL-18 -607 A/A polymorphism was higher in overweight and obese subjects vs normal weight subjects (P\u3c 0.001). Moreover, subjects with AA genotype had a higher BF, insulin resistance, TNFalpha and IL-18 levels when compared with subjects with AC (heterozygous) or CC (wild type) genotypes. However, we did not find any difference in the lipid profile between three subgroups.Conclusion: This preliminary data suggests that IL-18 polymorphism affects IL-18 levels that might cause low grade inflammation, further exacerbated by increased TNFalpha. All these increase the susceptibility to develop MetS. Further studies are required to validate our findings

Efficient Circular Repeated Measurements Designs Nearly Strongly Balanced for Carryover Effects

Repeated measurements designs (RMDs) are always economical but with the use of these designs, there may arise carryover effects. Minimal strongly balanced RMDs are well known to estimate the treatment effects and carryover effects independently. Where these minimal designs cannot be constructed, minimal nearly strongly balanced RMDs are used to balance the carryover effects. In this article, efficient circular nearly strongly balanced RMDs are constructed in periods of two and three different sizes with the smallest of size four

Current Knowledge and Therapeutic Strategies of Herbal Medicine for Acute Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common gastrointestinal problem characterized by loose watery stool and mild to severe dehydration. Annually, about 1.7–5 billion new cases of diarrhea were reported. In developing countries, it is more common, where young kids have diarrhea approximately three times/year. In 2013, 1.26 million deaths occurred due to diarrhea, whereas in 1990, the figure was slightly higher (2.58 million). In 2012, diarrhea was the second most common reason of death (11%, n = 0.76 million) in children less than 5 years. Although various synthetic drugs are being prescribed as standard therapy for diarrhea, they have side effects. It is possible to prescribe the herbal medicine for diarrhea, which is safe and effective. In this study, medicinal plants discussed are proven to be scientifically active in diarrheal diseases. This study reviews about current medicinal plants used in the treatment of diarrhea. The use of medicinal plants for diarrhea results in improvement of the symptom. Moreover, studies on large scale are needed to characterize the beneficial role of medicinal plants in the treatment of diarrhea

Ontology-Based Linked Data to Support Decision Making within Universities

In recent years, educational institutions worked hard to automate their work using more trending technologies that prove the success in supporting decision-making processes. Most the decisions in educational institutions rely on rating the academic research profiles of their staff. An enormous amount of scholarly data is produced continuously by online libraries that contain data about publications, citations, and research activities. This kind of data can change the accuracy of the academic decisions if linked with the local data of universities. The Linked Data technique in this study is applied to generate a link between university semantic data and an open knowledge graph to enrich the local data and improve academic decisions. As a proof of concept, a case study was conducted to allocate the best academic staff to teach a course regarding his profile, including research records. Further, the resulted data is available to reuse in the future for different purposes in academic domain. Finally, we compared the results of this link with previous work as evidence of the accuracy of leveraging this technology to improve decisions within universities