Cognitive relay nodes for airborne LTE emergency networks

This paper is proposing a novel concept of Cognitive Relay Node for intelligently improving the radio coverage of an airborne LTE emergency network, considering the scenarios outlined in the ABSOLUTE research project. The proposed network model was simulated comparing the different cases of deploying relay nodes to complement the coverage of an aerial LTE network. Simulation results of the proposed Cognitive Relay Nodes show significant performance improvement in terms of radio coverage quantified by the regional outage probability enhancement. Also, this paper is presenting the methodology and results of choosing the optimum aerial eNodeB altitude

Towards a subjective quantification of noise annoyance due to outdoor events

This research investigates the subjective quantification of noise annoyance due to outdoor events and aims to create a subjectively calibrated tool to quantify potential off-site annoyance from live event sound reinforcement systems. We've explored noise annoyance factors based on a three-fold division: the noise source, the receiver's characteristics, and environmental factors. Our comprehensive methodology blends subjective experiences with objective data by employing self-report questionnaires, physiological measures (including heart rate variability and skin conductance), and psychoacoustic evaluations (such as loudness, roughness, sharpness, fluctuation...). By analyzing collected data, we aim to uncover relationships between these various elements and subjective noise annoyance. Ultimately, the study seeks to create a calibrated tool that can guide system engineers, event planners, and policymakers in reducing noise annoyance. This endeavor has significant implications for improving public health and well-being within the context of outdoor events

Contrasting Surface Behavior of Rh (111) and Pt (111) Electrodes

Low energy electron diffraction and voltammetric measurements of the Rh(lll) electrode were conducted and compared with the corresponding surface and electrochemical characteristics of Pt (111). Rhodium is unstable upon exposure to water vapor or liquid water, but retains its well-defined character after immersion to aqueous media. This is reflected in the voltammetric behavior of the clean surface, as well as the manner in which carbon monoxide and iodine are adsorbed from solution. That is, a monolayer of an oxygen-containing species, assembled into (2X2) surface structure, can either be reduced by the voltammetric treatment or replaced by adsorbing solution components without causing system disorder. The voltammetry of the Rh (111) electrode, while exhibiting the main features of several metallic single crystal surfaces, differs significantly from that of platinum electrodes normalized to the same 2D geometry. From the voltam- me\u27ric behavior, it is concluded that adsorption of high energy hydrogen is not taking place on Rh (111). Equally important, the packing density and the surface structure of the Rh(lll) — CO differs from its Pt(lll) — CO analog. While iodine chemisorption from the gas phase leads to the development of several surface structures known from the corresponding platinum work, preferential formation of the_Pt (111) (V3 X V3)R30°—I structure against the Pt(lll)(V7X V7)R19.1°—I was demonstrated. Both electronic and structural factors contribute to the contrasting surface behavior brought to focus in this work

Smoking enhances the proinflammatory effects of nucleotides on cytokine release from human lung

Nucleotides have effects on immune cells which are complex but generally proinflammatory, and have been suggested to play a role in smoking-related lung diseases. However, there have been no studies directly measuring functional responses to nucleotides in human lungs taken from smokers. We used fragments of post mortem human lung from smokers and non-smokers, incubated them with a range of nucleotides (4-1000 µM) in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10 µg/ml) for 24 hours and measured cytokines (IL-1β, IFNγ, IL-17, TNFα, IL-6, IL-8, IL-2 and IL-10) in the supernatants using multiplex immunoassays. Although the basal cytokine levels in the smokers were generally higher in the smokers than the non-smokers, there were no significant differences in either the basal release or the LPS-stimulated release of any of the cytokines when lungs from smokers and non-smokers were compared. There were no significant effects of ATP, ADP, AMP, UTP, α,β-methylene-ATP, P1, P4-diATP, 2-methylthio-ATP or Bz-ATP on the release of cytokines from the lungs. However, the stable ATP analogue ATPγS increased the release of IL-1β and IFNγ, and the effect was greatly increased in lungs from smokers. In non-smokers but not in smokers ATPγS increased the release of IL-17. Overall these results clearly demonstrate for the first time that in normal human lung a stable ATP analogue can enhance LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine release, and that these effects are greatly altered by a prior history of smoking. This provides strong support for the suggestion that nucleotides are involved in the pathogenesis of smoking-related diseases

Performance evaluation of future wireless networks: node cooperation and aerial networks

Perhaps future historians will only refer to this era as the \emph{information age}, and will recognize it as a paramount milestone in mankind progress. One of the main pillars of this age is the ability to transmit and communicate information effectively and reliably, where wireless radio technology became one of the most vital enablers for such communication. A growth in radio communication demand is notably accelerating in a never-resting pace, pausing a great challenge not only on service providers but also on researches and innovators to explore out-of-the-box technologies. These challenges are mainly related to providing faster data communication over seamless, reliable and cost efficient wireless network, given the limited availability of physical radio resources, and taking into consideration the environmental impact caused by the increasing energy consumption. Traditional wireless communication is usually deployed in a cellular manner, where fixed base stations coordinate radio resources and play the role of an intermediate data handler. The concept of cellular networks and hotspots is widely adopted as the current stable scheme of wireless communication. However in many situations this fixed infrastructure could be impaired with severe damages caused by natural disasters, or could suffer congestions and traffic blockage. In addition to the fact that in the current networks any mobile-to-mobile data sessions should pass through the serving base station that might cause unnecessary energy consumption. In order to enhance the performance and reliability of future wireless networks and to reduce its environmental footprint, we explore two complementary concepts: the first is node cooperation and the second is aerial networks. With the ability of wireless nodes to cooperate lays two main possible opportunities; one is the ability of the direct delivery of information between the communicating nodes without relaying traffic through the serving base station, thus reducing energy consumption and alleviating traffic congestion. A second opportunity would be that one of the nodes helps a farther one by relaying its traffic towards the base station, thus extending network coverage and reliability. Both schemes can introduce significant energy saving and can enhance the overall availability of wireless networks in case of natural disasters. In addition to node cooperation, a complementary technology to explore is the \emph{aerial networks} where base stations are airborne on aerial platforms such as airships, UAVs or blimps. Aerial networks can provide a rapidly deployable coverage for remote areas or regions afflicted by natural disasters or even to patch surge traffic demand in public events. Where node cooperation can be implemented to complement both regular terrestrial coverage and to complement aerial networks. In this research, we explore these two complementary technologies, from both an experimental approach and from an analytic approach. From the experimental perspective we shed the light on the radio channel properties that is hosting terrestrial node cooperation and air-to-ground communication, namely we utilize both simulation results and practical measurements to formulate radio propagation models for device-to-device communication and for air-to-ground links. Furthermore we investigate radio spectrum availability for node cooperation in different urban environment, by conductive extensive mobile measurement survey. Within the experimental approach, we also investigate a novel concept of temporary cognitive femtocell network as an applied solution for public safety communication networks during the aftermath of a natural disaster. While from the analytical perspective, we utilize mathematical tools from stochastic geometry to formulate novel analytical methodologies, explaining some of the most important theoretical boundaries of the achievable enhancements in network performance promised by node cooperation. We start by determining the estimated coverage and rate received by mobile users from convectional cellular networks and from aerial platforms. After that we optimize this coverage and rate ensuring that relay nodes and users can fully exploit their coverage efficiently. We continue by analytically quantifying the cellular network performance during massive infrastructure failure, where some nodes play the role of low-power relays forming multi-hop communication links to assist farther nodes outside the reach of the healthy network coverage. In addition, we lay a mathematical framework for estimating the energy saving of a mediating relay assisting a pair of wireless devices, where we derive closed-form expressions for describing the geometrical zone where relaying is energy efficient. Furthermore, we introduce a novel analytic approach in analyzing the energy consumption of aerial-backhauled wireless nodes on ground fields through the assistance of an aerial base station, the novel mathematical framework is based on Mat\'{e}rn hard-core point process. Then we shed the light on the points interacting of these point processes quantifying their main properties. Throughout this thesis we relay on verifying the analytic results and formulas against computer simulations using Monte-Carlo analysis. We also present practical numerical examples to reflect the usefulness of the presented methodologies and results in real life scenarios. Most of the work presented in this dissertation was published in-part or as a whole in highly ranked peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, book chapters, or otherwise currently undergoing a review process. These publications are highlighted and identified in the course of this thesis. Finally, we wish the reader to enjoy exploring the journey of this thesis, and hope it will add more understanding to the promising new technologies of aerial networks and node cooperation

Methamphetamine abstinence induces changes in μ-opioid receptor, oxytocin and CRF systems: Association with an anxiogenic phenotype

The major challenge in treating methamphetamine addicts is the maintenance of a drug free-state since they experience negative emotional symptoms during abstinence, which may trigger relapse. The neuronal mechanisms underlying long-term withdrawal and relapse are currently not well-understood. There is evidence suggesting a role of the oxytocin (OTR), μ-opioid receptor (MOPr), dopamine D2 receptor (D2R), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) systems and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis in the different stages of methamphetamine addiction. In this study, we aimed to characterize the behavioral effects of methamphetamine withdrawal in mice and to assess the modulation of the OTR, MOPr, D2R, CRF and HPA-axis following chronic methamphetamine administration and withdrawal. Ten-day methamphetamine administration (2 mg/kg) increased OTR binding in the amygdala, whilst 7 days of withdrawal induced an upregulation of this receptor in the lateral septum. Chronic methamphetamine treatment increased plasma OT levels that returned to control levels following withdrawal. In addition, methamphetamine administration and withdrawal increased striatal MOPr binding, as well as c-Fos+/CRF+ neuronal expression in the amygdala, whereas an increase in plasma corticosterone levels was observed following METH administration, but not withdrawal. No differences were observed in the D2R binding following METH administration and withdrawal. The alterations in the OTR, MOPr and CRF systems occurred concomitantly with the emergence of anxiety-related symptoms and the development of psychomotor sensitization during withdrawal. Collectively, our findings indicate that chronic methamphetamine use and abstinence can induce brain-region specific neuroadaptations of the OTR, MOPr and CRF systems, which may, at least, partly explain the withdrawal-related anxiogenic effects

A Preliminary study of removal of some heavy metals from aqueous medium by a mesoporous hydroxysodalite zeolite prepared from basalt rich in calc-plagioclaseby alkali activation

This work presents an exploration of the use of hydroxysodalite zeolite prepared from basalt rich in calc-plagioclaseby alkali activation for removal of some heavy metals from aqueous medium. The preliminary results of batch and column experiments indicated a quantitative and fast removal of the three investigated ions, Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ from aqueous solutions. The data from the batch experiments and the column experiments jointly support the notion that hydroxysodalite zeolite prepared from basalt rich in calc-plagioclase is an efficient adsorbent for the investigated heavy metals.  Almost quantitative removal of the ions was achieved within a period of 15 min of exposure of the solution to the adsorbent in batch experiments and through passing a small column filled with the adsorbent. The highest removal efficiency  by the zeolite prepared from basalt rich in calc-plagioclase of  the three tested heavy metal Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ were 99.98% ,99.76% and 99.93 % respectively. Keywords: hydroxysodalite zeolite, basalt utilization, heavy ions removal, pollution  remediation DOI: 10.7176/CMR/12-7-09 Publication date:November 30th 2020

Emotional Impairment and Persistent Upregulation of mGlu5 Receptor following Morphine Abstinence: Implications of an mGlu5-MOPr Interaction.

BACKGROUND: A difficult problem in treating opioid addicts is the maintenance of a drug-free state because of the negative emotional symptoms associated with withdrawal, which may trigger relapse. Several lines of evidence suggest a role for the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 in opioid addiction; however, its involvement during opioid withdrawal is not clear. METHODS: Mice were treated with a 7-day escalating-dose morphine administration paradigm. Following withdrawal, the development of affective behaviors was assessed using the 3-chambered box, open-field, elevated plus-maze and forced-swim tests. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 autoradiographic binding was performed in mouse brains undergoing chronic morphine treatment and 7 days withdrawal. Moreover, since there is evidence showing direct effects of opioid drugs on the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 system, the presence of an metabotropic glutamate receptor 5/μ-opioid receptor interaction was assessed by performing metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 autoradiographic binding in brains of mice lacking the μ-opioid receptor gene. RESULTS: Withdrawal from chronic morphine administration induced anxiety-like, depressive-like, and impaired sociability behaviors concomitant with a marked upregulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 binding. Administration of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 antagonist, 3-((2-Methyl-4-thiazolyl)ethynyl)pyridine, reversed morphine abstinence-induced depressive-like behaviors. A brain region-specific increase in metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 binding was observed in the nucleus accumbens shell, thalamus, hypothalamus, and amygdala of μ-opioid receptor knockout mice compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest an association between metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 alterations and the emergence of opioid withdrawal-related affective behaviors. This study supports metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 system as a target for the development of pharmacotherapies for the treatment of opioid addiction. Moreover, our data show direct effects of μ-opioid receptor system manipulation on metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 binding in the brain

Designing and Implementing Future Aerial Communication Networks

Providing "connectivity from the sky" is the new innovative trend in wireless communications. High and low altitude platforms, drones, aircrafts and airships are being considered as the candidates for deploying wireless communications complementing the terrestrial communication infrastructure. In this article, we report the detailed account of the design and implementation challenges of an aerial network consisting of LTE Advanced (LTE-A) base stations. In particular, we review achievements and innovations harnessed by an aerial network composed of Helikite platforms. Helikites can be raised in the sky to bring Internet access during special events and in the aftermath of an emergency. The trial phase of the system mounting LTE-A technology onboard Helikites to serve users on the ground showed not only to be very encouraging but that such a system could offer even a longer lasting solution provided that inefficiency in powering the radio frequency equipment in the Helikite can be overcome.Comment: IEEE Communications Magazine 201