Optimized LTE Data Transmission Procedures for IoT: Device Side Energy Consumption Analysis

The efficient deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) over cellular networks, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or the next generation 5G, entails several challenges. For massive IoT, reducing the energy consumption on the device side becomes essential. One of the main characteristics of massive IoT is small data transmissions. To improve the support of them, the 3GPP has included two novel optimizations in LTE: one of them based on the Control Plane (CP), and the other on the User Plane (UP). In this paper, we analyze the average energy consumption per data packet using these two optimizations compared to conventional LTE Service Request procedure. We propose an analytical model to calculate the energy consumption for each procedure based on a Markov chain. In the considered scenario, for large and small Inter-Arrival Times (IATs), the results of the three procedures are similar. While for medium IATs CP reduces the energy consumption per packet up to 87% due to its connection release optimization

Automated Network Service Scaling in NFV: Concepts, Mechanisms and Scaling Workflow

Next-generation systems are anticipated to be digital platforms supporting innovative services with rapidly changing traffic patterns. To cope with this dynamicity in a cost-efficient manner, operators need advanced service management capabilities such as those provided by NFV. NFV enables operators to scale network services with higher granularity and agility than today. For this end, automation is key. In search of this automation, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has defined a reference NFV framework that make use of model-driven templates called Network Service Descriptors (NSDs) to operate network services through their lifecycle. For the scaling operation, an NSD defines a discrete set of instantiation levels among which a network service instance can be resized throughout its lifecycle. Thus, the design of these levels is key for ensuring an effective scaling. In this article, we provide an overview of the automation of the network service scaling operation in NFV, addressing the options and boundaries introduced by ETSI normative specifications. We start by providing a description of the NSD structure, focusing on how instantiation levels are constructed. For illustrative purposes, we propose an NSD for a representative NS. This NSD includes different instantiation levels that enable different ways to automatically scale this NS. Then, we show the different scaling procedures the NFV framework has available, and how it may automate their triggering. Finally, we propose an ETSI-compliant workflow to describe in detail a representative scaling procedure. This workflow clarifies the interactions and information exchanges between the functional blocks in the NFV framework when performing the scaling operation.Comment: This work has been accepted for publication in the IEEE Communications Magazin

Analytic Analysis of Narrowband IoT Coverage Enhancement Approaches

The introduction of Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) as a cellular IoT technology aims to support massive Machine-Type Communications applications. These applications are characterized by massive connections from a large number of low-complexity and low-power devices. One of the goals of NB-IoT is to improve coverage extension beyond existing cellular technologies. In order to do that, NB-IoT introduces transmission repetitions and different bandwidth allocation configurations in uplink. These new transmission approaches yield many transmission options in uplink. In this paper, we propose analytical expressions that describe the influence of these new approaches in the transmission. Our analysis is based on the Shannon theorem. The transmission is studied in terms of the required Signal to Noise Ratio, bandwidth utilization, and energy per transmitted bit. Additionally, we propose an uplink link adaptation algorithm that contemplates these new transmission approaches. The conducted evaluation summarizes the influence of these approaches. Furthermore, we present the resulting uplink link adaptation from our proposed algorithm sweeping the device's coverage.Comment: Accepted in the 2018 Global IoT Summit (GIoTS) conferenc

Implementación de mecanismos de mitigación de tormentas de broadcast en redes de área local mediante Redes Definidas por Software

[ES] El uso de Ethernet como tecnologı́a de red pararedes corporativas se justifica por su bajo coste y facilidadde configuración y mantenimiento. Sin embargo, estas redesno son muy escalables, debido en parte a las inundacioneso tormentas de broadcasts, que afectan al rendimiento tantode los dispositivos de red como finales. Para mitigar elimpacto de las inundaciones por broadcast, se ha previstoutilizar técnicas de filtrado y caché en distintos nodos dela red. Sin embargo, el paradigma de Redes Definidas porSoftware permite definir nuevas aproximaciones, gracias ala capacidad de reprogramar la red de forma centralizaday flexible que proporciona. En este trabajo se aborda laimplementación de una red de área local con soporte parafiltrar algunos paquetes broadcast mediante la utilizaciónde Redes Definidas por Software. Esta solución permitirı́adesplegar redes de área local más amplias, adecuadas paralos requisitos de redes corporativas. Para ello, se describe eldesarrollo de filtros para varios protocolos de red, su imple-mentación en el controlador OpendayLight, y la evaluacióndel rendimiento obtenido.Este trabajo esta parcialmente financiado por el Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad y el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional FEDER (proyectos TEC2016-76795-C6-4-R y TIN2013-46223-P).Valera Muros, B.; Prados Garzón, J.; Ramos-Munoz, JJ.; Navarro-Ortiz, J. (2017). Implementación de mecanismos de mitigación de tormentas de broadcast en redes de área local mediante Redes Definidas por Software. En XIII Jornadas de Ingeniería telemática (JITEL 2017). Libro de actas. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 216-223. https://doi.org/10.4995/JITEL2017.2017.6585OCS21622

Metabolically Obese Normal-Weight Phenotype as a Risk Factor for High Blood Pressure: A Five-Year Cohort

"Background: The metabolically obese normal-weight (MONW) phenotype has been considered a risk factor for different chronic diseases, but its role in high blood pressure (HBP) is still unclear. The aim of the study is to determine if the MONW phenotype constitutes a risk factor for hypertension in Peruvian adults belonging to a 5-year cohort. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. A secondary analysis from the database of the PERU MIGRANT study was carried out from the MONW and non-MONW cohorts; after a 5-year follow-up, the appearance of HBP was evaluated in the subjects of both cohorts. To assess the strength and magnitude of the association, a Poisson regression model (crude and adjusted) with robust variance was used. The measure of association was the relative risk (RR). Results: The incidence of HBP was 11.30%. In the multivariable analysis, subjects with the MONW phenotype had a 2.879-fold risk of presenting HBP in 5 years compared with those who were not MONW at the beginning of the study; this was adjusted for categorized age, sex, group, and state of smoker and alcohol drinker (RR: 2.055; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.118 - 3.777; P = 0.020). Conclusions: The presence of the MONW phenotype doubled the incidence of HBP, even after adjusting for other covariates. However, studies in this field should continue. If these findings are confirmed, it should be considered that presenting an adequate weight for height should not be interpreted as a condition free of metabolic alterations, so screening for hypertension should be carried out regardless of w

Allelic Variation of MYB10 Is the Major Force Controlling Natural Variation in Skin and Flesh Color in Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) Fruit

Independent mutations in the transcription factor MYB10 cause most of the anthocyanin variation observed in diploid woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) and octoploid cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa). The fruits of diploid and octoploid strawberry (Fragaria spp) show substantial natural variation in color due to distinct anthocyanin accumulation and distribution patterns. Anthocyanin biosynthesis is controlled by a clade of R2R3 MYB transcription factors, among which MYB10 is the main activator in strawberry fruit. Here, we show that mutations in MYB10 cause most of the variation in anthocyanin accumulation and distribution observed in diploid woodland strawberry (F. vesca) and octoploid cultivated strawberry (F. xananassa). Using a mapping-by-sequencing approach, we identified a gypsy-transposon in MYB10 that truncates the protein and knocks out anthocyanin biosynthesis in a white-fruited F. vesca ecotype. Two additional loss-of-function mutations in MYB10 were identified among geographically diverse white-fruited F. vesca ecotypes. Genetic and transcriptomic analyses of octoploid Fragaria spp revealed that FaMYB10-2, one of three MYB10 homoeologs identified, regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in developing fruit. Furthermore, independent mutations in MYB10-2 are the underlying cause of natural variation in fruit skin and flesh color in octoploid strawberry. We identified a CACTA-like transposon (FaEnSpm-2) insertion in the MYB10-2 promoter of red-fleshed accessions that was associated with enhanced expression. Our findings suggest that cis-regulatory elements in FaEnSpm-2 are responsible for enhanced MYB10-2 expression and anthocyanin biosynthesis in strawberry fruit flesh.Peer reviewe

Metabolically Obese Normal-Weight Phenotype as a Risk Factor for High Blood Pressure: A Five-Year Cohort

Background: The metabolically obese normal-weight (MONW) phenotype has been considered a risk factor for different chronic diseases, but its role in high blood pressure (HBP) is still unclear. The aim of the study is to determine if the MONW phenotype constitutes a risk factor for hypertension in Peruvian adults belonging to a 5-year cohort. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. A secondary analysis from the database of the PERU MIGRANT study was carried out from the MONW and non-MONW cohorts; after a 5-year follow-up, the appearance of HBP was evaluated in the subjects of both cohorts. To assess the strength and magnitude of the association, a Poisson regression model (crude and adjusted) with robust variance was used. The measure of association was the relative risk (RR). Results: The incidence of HBP was 11.30%. In the multivariable analysis, subjects with the MONW phenotype had a 2.879-fold risk of presenting HBP in 5 years compared with those who were not MONW at the beginning of the study; this was adjusted for categorized age, sex, group, and state of smoker and alcohol drinker (RR: 2.055; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.118 - 3.777; P = 0.020). Conclusions: The presence of the MONW phenotype doubled the incidence of HBP, even after adjusting for other covariates. However, studies in this field should continue. If these findings are confirmed, it should be considered that presenting an adequate weight for height should not be interpreted as a condition free of metabolic alterations, so screening for hypertension should be carried out regardless of whether or not the body mass index obtained is considered normal

Towards versatile access networks (Chapter 3)

Compared to its previous generations, the 5th generation (5G) cellular network features an additional type of densification, i.e., a large number of active antennas per access point (AP) can be deployed. This technique is known as massive multipleinput multiple-output (mMIMO) [1]. Meanwhile, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) evolution, e.g., in channel state information (CSI) enhancement, and also on the study of a larger number of orthogonal demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports for MU-MIMO, was one of the Release 18 of 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP Rel-18) work item. This release (3GPP Rel-18) package approval, in the fourth quarter of 2021, marked the start of the 5G Advanced evolution in 3GPP. The other items in 3GPP Rel-18 are to study and add functionality in the areas of network energy savings, coverage, mobility support, multicast broadcast services, and positionin

Management of multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli infections in solid organ transplant recipients: SET/GESITRA-SEIMC/REIPI recommendations

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are especially at risk of developing infections by multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli (GNB), as they are frequently exposed to antibiotics and the healthcare setting, and are regulary subject to invasive procedures. Nevertheless, no recommendations concerning prevention and treatment are available. A panel of experts revised the available evidence; this document summarizes their recommendations: (1) it is important to characterize the isolate´s phenotypic and genotypic resistance profile; (2) overall, donor colonization should not constitute a contraindication to transplantation, although active infected kidney and lung grafts should be avoided; (3) recipient colonization is associated with an increased risk of infection, but is not a contraindication to transplantation; (4) different surgical prophylaxis regimens are not recommended for patients colonized with carbapenem-resistant GNB; (5) timely detection of carriers, contact isolation precautions, hand hygiene compliance and antibiotic control policies are important preventive measures; (6) there is not sufficient data to recommend intestinal decolonization; (7) colonized lung transplant recipients could benefit from prophylactic inhaled antibiotics, specially for Pseudomonas aeruginosa; (8) colonized SOT recipients should receive an empirical treatment which includes active antibiotics, and directed therapy should be adjusted according to susceptibility study results and the severity of the infection.J.T.S. holds a research contract from the Fundación para la Formación e Investigación de los Profesionales de la Salud de Extremadura (FundeSalud), Instituto de Salud Carlos III. M.F.R. holds a clinical research contract “Juan Rodés” (JR14/00036) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Instituto de Salud Carlos III