Dependable k-coverage algorithms for sensor networks

Redundant sensing capabilities are often required in sensor network applications due to various reasons, e.g. robustness, fault tolerance, or increased accuracy. At the same time high sensor redundancy offers the possibility of increasing network lifetime by scheduling sleep intervals for some sensors and still providing continuous service with help of the remaining active sensors. In this paper centralized and distributed algorithms are proposed to solve the k-coverage sensing problem and maximize network lifetime. When physically possible, the proposed robust Controlled Greedy Sleep Algorithm provides guaranteed service independently of node and communication errors in the network. The performance of the algorithm is illustrated and compared to results of a random solution by simulation examples

A magyar étkezési tojástermelés gazdasági kérdései különböző tartástechnológiában, üzemméretben és termelési színvonalon

The aim of this study is to reveal the effects of housing systems, farm sizes and production levels on the economic indicators of Hungarian table egg production. This research is based on the farm-level cost and income data and the related weights of egg production farms between 2003-2015 from the Hungarian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) database. These data were processed using descriptive statistics and correlation and regression analyses were performed to evaluate the correlations between each indicator. The results show that the unit cost of egg was 7.16 Eurocent/egg in enriched cage system and 39% higher (9.97 Eurocent/egg) in barns between 2012-2015 in Hungary. So in line with the international tendencies table egg can be more effectively produced in Hungary using enriched cage system as opposed to barns. However, these costs are significantly higher than the average of the most significant egg producing countries of the EU. It was also found that the unit cost of egg is lower in larger farm size; however, other factors also affect its value. The increase of production level (specific yield) is also in a positive correlation with the examined economic indicators (cost and profit). So the improvement of the current technological level would definitely enhance the physical and economic efficiency of Hungarian egg production by supporting modernising investments. The only technology that can be recommended for large-scale production is the cage system which is more cost-effective. On the contrary, alternative technologies are more favourable for smaller, family farms.Jelen tanulmány célja a tartástechnológia, az üzemméret és a termelési színvonal hatásának kimutatása a magyarországi étkezési tojástermelés gazdasági mutatóira vonatkozóan. A kutatáshoz a magyar FADN adatbázis tojástermelő gazdaságokra jellemző üzemsoros költség- és jövedelem adatait, illetve az azokhoz tartozó üzemi súlyokat használtuk fel a 2003-2015 közötti időszakra vonatkozóan. Az adatokat leíró statisztikai módszerekkel dolgoztuk fel, továbbá az egyes mutatók közötti összefüggések vizsgálatához korreláció- és regresszió-analízist végeztünk. Az eredmények alapján megállapítható, hogy a tojás önköltsége Magyarországon 2012-2015 között bővített ketreces technológiában 7,16 eurocent/tojás, míg a mélyalmos termelésben 39%-kal magasabb (9,97 eurocent/tojás) volt. Tehát a nemzetközi tendenciákkal összhangban Magyarországon a bővített ketreces tartástechnológiában hatékonyabb az étkezési tojás előállítása, mint mélyalmos tartásmódban, ugyanakkor ezek a költségek jelentősen meghaladják az EU meghatározó tojástermelő országainak átlagát. Az is megállapítható, hogy nagyobb üzemméretben alacsonyabb a tojás önköltsége, viszont annak alakításában más tényező is szerepet játszik. A termelési színvonalat kifejező fajlagos hozam növekedése szintén pozitív összefüggésben van a gazdasági mutatókkal. Éppen ezért a jelenlegi technológiai színvonal javítása korszerűsítő beruházások támogatásával mindenképpen javítaná a magyar tojástermelés naturális és ökonómiai hatékonyságát. A nagyüzemi termelés számára az egyetlen javasolható technológia, a legkedvezőbb költséghatékonysági mutatókkal jellemezhető ketreces tartási mód. Ezzel szemben a kisebb, családi méretű üzemekben az alternatív technológiák megvalósítása kedvezőbb

Priming with Vitamin U Enhances Cold Tolerance of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Priming may be an efficient pre-treatment of plants in order to enhance their ability to cope with unfavourable growth conditions, and to improve defensive metabolism through elevated levels of protective substances which may also act as health-promoting agents upon human consumption. The aim of this work was to evaluate the beneficial influence of priming with the naturally occurring, but scarcely known vitamin U (S-methylmethionine) on cold stress tolerance of lettuce (the frequently grown ‘May King’ cultivar). Effects on germination, photosynthetic efficiency, as well as on health-promoting carotenoid and vitamin C contents were investigated. Photosynthetic capacity, strongly related to productivity, was evaluated with parameters of induced chlorophyll fluorescence and of leaf gas exchange through stomata, using plants grown in hydroponic cultures. Priming with vitamin U significantly compensated for the delaying effect of low temperature (5 °C) on seed germination, as well as for inhibition of light-converting photochemical reactions and of carbon dioxide assimilation by cold stress. Use of vitamin U to prime lettuce plantlets for low temperature stress resulted in an elevated content of carotenoid pigments and of vitamin C in leaves, which improve the quality of consumed lettuce with respect to the health-promoting capacity. This beneficial influence of vitamin U was not proportional with its concentration (2 mM had no stronger effects than 0.25 mM), so small amounts of this substance were sufficient for a sustained efficiency in promoting hardening against chilling temperatures. This is the first report on priming of lettuce for cold tolerance by using S-methylmethionine (vitamin U), with a possible application in improvement of crop quality and productivity

Assessment of Bank Services Excellence in Iraq: A Comprehensive Investigation Employing the SERVQUAL Model

This study employs the SERVQUAL model to investigate the service quality of banks operating in Iraq comprehensively. The objective is to identify gaps between customers' expectations and perceptions of the service quality of bank service providers in Iraq. The study utilizes data collected from customers from the Iraqi banking sector. An item-level analysis and Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) were employed. The results reveal a significant level of perceived service quality among participants, indicating that customers generally experience satisfactory service from their respective banks. However, negative gap scores over dimensions suggest that there is a need for improvement. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of a better understanding of customer expectations and perceptions of service quality in the Iraqi banking sector and provide valuable insights for banks to enhance their service delivery

Direct comparison of steroid and non-steroid eluting small surface pacing leads: Randomized, multicenter clinical trial

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effi cacy and safety of small surfacesteroid-eluting atrial and ventricular pacing leads in comparison to non-steroid leads usingremote monitoring system (Biotronik Home Monitoring®).Methods: In this randomized multicenter prospective trial, SIELLO T steroid-eluting ventricularleads (n = 42) were compared to BPPU T non-steroid leads (n = 46) and SIELLOJT steroid-eluting atrial leads (n = 24) to BPPU JT non-steroid leads (n = 27) (Biotronik,Berlin, Germany) in pacemaker devices with remote monitoring capabilities. Lead parameterswere evaluated during implantation, at 1-week and 1, 3, 6-month outpatient follow-up. Remotemonitoring data were collected weekly.Results: Atrial and ventricular steroid-eluting leads had stable sensing and impedance ascompared to non-steroid leads at implantation and during follow-up. Patients with non-steroidatrial leads had signifi cantly higher threshold compared to steroid leads at 1-week and at1, 3, 6-month follow-up with a peak at 1-month (1-month 1.4 ± 0.6 vs. 0.7 ± 0.3 V at 0.4 ms,p < 0.001; 6-month 0.3 ± 0.5 vs. 0.2 ± 0.3 V at 0.4 ms, p = 0.002). Patients with non-steroidventricular leads had signifi cantly higher threshold compared to steroid leads at 1, 3, 6-month(6-month 1.0 ± 0.3 vs. 0.6 ± 0.2 V at 0.4 ms, p < 0.001). Remote monitoring confi rmed consistentresults. During the study, 3 patients died of non-lead-related death. Lead repositioningwas necessary in 2 atrial, 2 ventricular steroid leads and in 1 ventricular non-steroid lead.Conclusions: Atrial and ventricular pacemaker leads with steroid showed signifi cantly lowerpacing threshold compared to non-steroid leads, confi rmed by remote monitoring

Novel Predictors of Future Vascular Events in Post-stroke Patients—A Pilot Study

Introduction: A modified platelet function test (mPFT) was recently found to be superior compared to impedance aggregometry for selection of post-stroke patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR). We aimed to explore some peripheral blood cell characteristics as predictors of recurrent ischemic episodes. The predictive value of mPFT was also assessed in a cohort followed up to 36 months regarding recurrent ischemic vascular events.Methods: As a novelty, not only whole blood (WB), but after 1-h gravity sedimentation the separated upper (UB) and lower half blood (LB) samples were analyzed including neutrophil antisedimentation rate (NAR) in 52 post-stroke patients taking clopidogrel. Area under the curve (AUC, AUCupper and AUClower, respectively) was separately measured by Multiplate in the WB, UB and LB samples to characterize ex vivo platelet aggregation in the presence of ADP. Next, the occurrence of vascular events (stroke, acute coronary syndrome, ACS) were evaluated during 36-month follow-up.Results: A total of 11 vascular events (stroke n = 5, ACS n = 6) occurred during the follow-up period. The AUCupper was significantly higher in patients with recurrent stroke compared to those with uneventful follow-up (p = 0.03). The AUCupper with a cut-off value ≥70 based on the mPFT, was able to predict all stroke events (p = 0.01), while the total vascular events were independently predicted by NAR with a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 88%.Conclusions: A combination of NAR reflecting the inflammatory state and AUCupper indicating HTPR may provide a better prediction of recurrent ischemic events suggesting a better selection of patients at risk, thus providing an individually tailored vascular therapy

Sexual Dimorphism of Kisspeptin and Neurokinin B Immunoreactive Neurons in the Infundibular Nucleus of Aged Men and Women

The secretory output of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons is critically influenced by peptidergic neurons synthesizing kisspeptins (KP) and neurokinin B (NKB) in the hypothalamic infundibular nucleus (Inf). These cells mediate negative feedback effects of sex steroids on the reproductive axis. While negative feedback is lost in postmenopausal women, it is partly preserved by the sustained testosterone secretion in aged men. We hypothesized that the different reproductive physiology of aged men and women is reflected in morphological differences of KP and NKB neurons. This sexual dimorphism was studied with immunohistochemistry in hypothalamic sections of aged human male (≥50 years) and female (>55 years) subjects. KP and NKB cell bodies of the Inf were larger in females. The number of KP cell bodies, the density of KP fibers, and the incidence of their contacts on GnRH neurons were much higher in aged women compared with men. The number of NKB cell bodies was only slightly higher in women and there was no sexual dimorphism in the regional density of NKB fibers and the incidence of their appositions onto GnRH cells. The incidences of NKB cell bodies, fibers, and appositions onto GnRH neurons exceeded several-fold those of KP-IR elements in men. More NKB than KP inputs to GnRH cells were also present in women. Immunofluorescent studies identified only partial overlap between KP and NKB axons. KP and NKB were colocalized in higher percentages of afferents to GnRH neurons in women compared with men. Most of these sex differences might be explained with the lack of estrogen negative feedback in aged women, whereas testosterone can continue to suppress KP, and to a lesser extent, NKB synthesis in men. Overall, sex differences in reproductive physiology of aged humans were reflected in the dramatic sexual dimorphism of the KP system, with significantly higher incidences of KP-IR neurons, fibers and inputs to GnRH neurons in aged females vs. males