Collaborative Data Transmission in Wireless Sensor Networks

grant TR32043 grant III44003 grant III43002Collaborative beamforming (CBF) is a promising technique aimed at improving energy efficiency of communication in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) which has attracted considerable attention in the research community recently. It is based on a fact that beampattern with stable mainlobe can be formed, if multiple sensors synchronize their oscillators and jointly transmit a common message signal. In this paper, we consider application of CBF with one bit of feedback in different communication scenarios and analyze the impact of constraints imposed by simple sensor node hardware, on the resulting signal strength. First, we present a CBF scheme capable of reducing interference levels in the nearby WSN clusters by employing joint feedback from multiple base stations that surround the WSN of interest. Then, we present a collaborative power allocation and sensor selection algorithm, capable of achieving beamforming gains with transmitters that are not able to adjust their oscillators' signal phase. The performance of the algorithms is assessed by means of achieved beamforming gain which is given as a function of algorithm iterations. The presented results, which are based on numerical simulations and mathematical analysis, are compared with the ideal case without constraints and with negligible noise at the Base Station (BS).publishersversionpublishe

PARAMETERS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE HOUSING QUALITY IN SOCIAL HOUSING DWELLINGS

Abstract. Experiences of the countries with developed social housing sector indicate that the role of social housing should not be treated in a limited manner, considered to be just a roof over one’s head, whereby housing quality will be neglected. Contemporary approaches to the development of social housing models are focused on users themselves, with a special concern for the housing quality. Because the units of social housing have the minimal size, it is necessary to provide such amenities so as to overcome the shortage of usable housing space. It is also desirable that the design of social housing dwellings should have a simulative effect on the tenants within this areas. This paper discusses the spatial and physical parameters which could affect the housing quality of this type of dwellings. Key words: housing quality, housing standard, housing unit, social housing

Comparison of exercise, dobutamine-atropine and dipyridamole-atropine stress echocardiography in detecting coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND: Dipyridamole and dobutamine stress echocardiography testing are most widely utilized, but their sensitivity remained suboptimal in comparison to routine exercise stress echocardiography. The aim of our study is to compare, head-to-head, exercise, dobutamine and dipyridamole stress echocardiography tests, performed with state-of-the-art protocols in a large scale prospective group of patients. METHODS: Dipyridamole-atropine (Dipatro: 0.84 mg/kg over 10 min i.v. dipyridamole with addition of up to 1 mg of atropine), dobutamine-atropine (Dobatro: up to 40 mcg/kg/min i.v. dobutamine with addition of up to 1 mg of atropine) and exercise (Ex, Bruce) were performed in 166 pts. Of them, 117 pts without resting wall motion abnormalities were enrolled in study (91 male; mean age 54 ± 10 years; previous non-transmural myocardial infarction in 32 pts, angina pectoris in 69 pts and atypical chest pain in 16 pts). Tests were performed in random sequence, in 3 different days, within 5 day period under identical therapy. All patients underwent coronary angiography. RESULTS: Significant coronary artery disease (CAD; ≥50% diameter stenosis) was present in 69 pts (57 pts 1-vessel CAD, 12 multivessel CAD) and absent in 48 pts. Sensitivity (Sn) was 96%, 93% and 90%, whereas specificity (Sp) was 92%, 92% and 87% for Dobatro, Dipatro and Ex, respectively (p = ns). Concomitant beta blocker therapy did not influence peak rate-pressure product and Sn of Dobatro and Dipatro (p = ns). CONCLUSION: When state-of-the-art protocols are used, dipyridamole and dobutamine stress echocardiography have comparable and high diagnostic accuracy, similar to maximal post-exercise treadmill stress echocardiography

Determination and structural correlation of pKBH+ for meta- and para- substituted benzamides in sulfuric acid solutions

The protonation of some meta and para substituted benzamides in sulfuric acid solutions was studied by UV spectroscopy in the 190–350 nm region. Principal component analysis was applied to separate the effect of protonation from the medium effect. The spectral region 200–350 nm was used for the calculation of the ionization ratio from coefficient of the first principal component, which explains about 95–98 % of the total variability. The dissociation constants as well as the solvation parameters m* and f were calculated using the excess acidity method and the Bunnett–Olsen method. The pKBH+ values obtained with the HA function (defined by the average m* -values) are in satisfactory agreement with those calculated with the previously mentioned methods. The pKBH+ values were correlated with structure using the Hammett (r = – 0.91) and Taft approach. It was found that the inductive effect is more relevant than the resonance one for both substituted benzamides (meta and para)

The Place and Role of the Consumption Taxes in Contemporary Tax Systems

The primary purpose of collecting the tax is financing the budget and financing of the prescribed State duties and its units. Taxes are the main source of budget and without them the state would not be able to operate and finance public goods and common needs, such as defense, protection of property and civil rights, public order, education, health, infrastructure and the like. Taxes on consumption are among the oldest forms of taxation. It is an indirect tax forms, which main characteristics are elasticity and the yield on the one hand, while on the other hand, they represent a regressive tax forms with distinct inflationary potential. Although these tax forms are one of the oldest, in modern tax systems they provide significant funding for the government budgets. Taxes on consumption represent forms of tax to be paid in connection with the operation of final goods and services in the country of consumption. The most important forms of consumption taxes are: sales tax, excises and customs

Spectrophotometric study of the protonation processes of some indole derivatives in sulfuric acid

The protonation of 3-methylindole, D-tryptophan, 3-formylindole, 3-acetylindole and indolyl-2-carboxylic acid in sulfuric acid media was studied by UV spectro-scopy. The measurement of the absorbance at four selected wavelengths enabled the calculation of the corresponding molar absorptivities. The results were used to calculate the pKa value of the protonated form of the indole derivatives by the Hammett Method. The Hammett postulate (the slope of the plot log [c(BH+)/c(B)] vs. H should be equal to 1) was tested. The dissociation constants and solvent parameter m* were also obtained by applying the Excess Acidity Method. The position of the additional protons in the protonated compounds is discussed

Cosmology and Particle Physics beyond Standard Models: Ten Years of the SEENET-MTP Network

This publication - "Cosmology and Particle Physics beyond Standard Models" - is dedicated to the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Southeastern European Network in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics (SEENET-MTP). As a Theme Collection, rather than a Monograph or Proceedings, this volume presents a number of reports and overviews, a few research papers and a short note. However, some of them are excellent examples of a nowadays increasingly deep interplay between particle physics and cosmology. Contributions span a wide range of topics in cosmology, particle physics, but also gravity, including the interface of these fields. The presented work is of both theoretical and experimental/ observational nature. The contributions represent recent progress in their respective fields: inflation, dark matter, neutrino physics, supersymmetry, collider physics, string theory, quantum gravity, black hole physics and massive gravity

In-house validation and quality control of commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbnet assays for screening of nitrofuran metabolites in food of animal origin

Application of nitrofuran antimicrobials at food production animals was prohibited by Commission Regulation 2003/181/EC because of their potential carcinogenic and mutagenic effects on humans. Main protein-bound metabolites of nitofurans are 3-amino-5-morpholinomethyl-2-oxazolidone (AMOZ), 1-aminohydantoin (AHD), semicarbazide (SEM) and 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AOZ). Since then numerous costly liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) methods have been developed for screening and confirmation of nitrofuran metabolites in line with the EU requirements for performing official controls. As an inexpensive and less time consuming alternative, enzyme-immunoassay methods were developed for screening of the respective compounds. In this study validation and evaluation of four commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been performed. According to the requirements of Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, different performance characteristics (specificity, detection capability, precision) for various matrices (liver, eggs, honey) have been determined for each kit. The validation study has confirmed that the methods studied possess suitable characteristics: detectionlimits between 0.126 and 0.240 μg/kg, detection capabilities ≤1.0 μg/kg and the inter-day precision in the range from 16.20% to 22.11 %. The validation study was finalized by participation in FAPAS Proficiency testing scheme in 2011, and the obtained results have confirmed the capability of applied methods for unambiguous discrimination between negative and positive sample