Implementation and Evaluation of Age-Aware Downlink Scheduling Policies in Push-Based and Pull-Based Communication

As communication systems evolve to better cater to the needs of machine-type applications such as remote monitoring and networked control, advanced perspectives are required for the design of link layer protocols. The age of information (AoI) metric has firmly taken its place in the literature as a metric and tool to measure and control the data freshness demands of various applications. AoI measures the timeliness of transferred information from the point of view of the destination. In this study, we experimentally investigate AoI of multiple packet flows on a wireless multi-user link consisting of a transmitter (base station) and several receivers, implemented using software-defined radios (SDRs). We examine the performance of various scheduling policies under push-based and pull-based communication scenarios. For the push-based communication scenario, we implement age-aware scheduling policies from the literature and compare their performance with those of conventional scheduling methods. Then, we investigate the query age of information (QAoI) metric, an adaptation of the AoI concept for pull-based scenarios. We modify the former age-aware policies to propose variants that have a QAoI minimization objective. We share experimental results obtained in a simulation environment as well as on the SDR testbed.     

N,N'-disalicylidene-1,3-diaminopropane as a selective chelating titrant for copper(II)

This study was carried out to develop a new complexometric titration method for determination of copper. For this purpose, the standard solutions of copper(II) (10(-3)-10(-5) M) were potentiometrically titrated using N,N'-disalicylidene-1,3-diaminopropane (Schiff base) as titrant and copper(II)-selective electrode for end-point indication in both ammonium acetate and ammonia/ammonium chloride buffer media. The stoichiometry of titration reaction and interference effects of some metal ions on titration of copper were discussed. There was a good agreement between the results obtained by the proposed titration method and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) titration method. The accuracy and precision of Schiff base method were tested by five replicate determinations both on the standard solution of copper(II) and standard reference materials. The results have indicated that the percentage of copper in alloys can be safely determined by using the Schiff base method without interference from many other metals in alloys.     

Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women around the world and its incidence is annually increasing. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, which is expressed in breast tissue and known to modulate the rate of cell proliferation. Association between the VDR gene polymorphisms and cancer development has been suggested by several studies. However, the relationship between VDR polymorphisms and breast cancer is controversial and has not been confirmed by all studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genotype frequencies and association of the VDR Bsm I and Taq I polymorphisms with breast cancer in Turkish patients. In this study, 78 patients with breast cancer and 27 healthy individuals were enrolled. The prevalence of the VDR Taq I and Bsm I alleles and the genotype frequencies in patients with breast cancer was similar to that in the normal population. Our data indicate that no significant differences exist between the patients and control subjects.     

Photochemical reactions of Re(CO)5Br with Ph2P(CH2) n PPh2 (n = 1, dppm; 2, dppe; 3, dppp)

The new complexes fac-[Re(CO)₃Br{Ph₂P(CH₂) _n PPh₂}] (1a–3a) [(1a), n = 1; (2a), n = 2; (3a), n = 3] and [Re₂(CO)₈Br₂{-Ph₂P(CH₂) _n PPh₂}] (1b–3b) [(1b), n = 1; (2b), n = 2; (3b), n = 3] have been prepared by the photochemical reaction of Re(CO)₅Br with Ph₂P(CH₂) _n PPh₂ (n = 1, dppm; 2, dppe; 3, dppp). The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy, f.t.-i.r. and ³¹P-[¹H]-n.m.r. spectrometry. The spectroscopic studies suggest cis-chelate bidentate coordination of the ligand in fac-[Re(CO)₃Br{Ph₂P(CH₂) _n PPh₂}] (1a–3a) and cis-bridging bidentate coordination of the ligand between two metals in [Re₂(CO)₈Br₂{cis--Ph₂P(CH₂) _n PPh₂}] (1a–3a).     

Photochemical reactions of M(CO)5THF (M = Cr, Mo, W) with thio Schiff bases

The hitherto unknown complexes, [M₂(CO)₆(μ-CO)(μ-L)], [M = Cr; 1, Mo; 2, W; 3] and [M₂(CO)₆(μ-CO)(μ-L′)], [M = Cr; 4, Mo; 5, W; 6] have been synthesized by the photochemical reactions of photogenerated intermediate, M(CO)₅THF (M = Cr, Mo, W) with thio Schiff base ligands, N,N′-bis(2-aminothiophenol)-1,4-bis(2-carboxaldehydephenoxy)butane (H ₂ L) and N,N′-bis(2-aminothiophenol)-1,7-bis(2-formylphenyl)-1,4,7-trioxaheptane (H ₂ L′). The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, LC-mass spectrometry, magnetic studies, FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The spectroscopic studies show that H ₂ L and H ₂ L′ ligands are converted to benzothiazole derivatives, L and L′ after UV irradiation and coordinated to the central metal as bridging ligands via the central azomethine nitrogen and sulphur atoms in 1–6.     

A Cocatalyst that Stabilizes a Hydride Intermediate during Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution over a Rhodium‐Doped TiO2 Nanosheet

The hydrogen evolution reaction using semiconductor photocatalysts has been significantly improved by cocatalyst loading. However, there are still many speculations regarding the actual role of the cocatalyst. Now a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction pathway is reported on a cocatalyst site using TiO₂ nanosheets doped with Rh at Ti sites as one‐atom cocatalysts. A hydride species adsorbed on the one‐atom Rh dopant cocatalyst site was confirmed experimentally as the intermediate state for hydrogen evolution, which was consistent with the results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In this system, the role of the cocatalyst in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is related to the withdrawal of photo‐excited electrons and stabilization of the hydride intermediate species; the presence of oxygen vacancies induced by Rh facilitate the withdrawal of electrons and stabilization of the hydride.     

Photoluminescence and Magnetism Study of Blue Light Emitting the Oxygen-Bridged Open-Cubane Cobalt(II) Cluster

A new cubane-based cobalt(II) cluster, [Co₄L₄] (1), where H₂L?=?2-((E)-(2-hydroxyethylimino) methyl)-4-chlorophenol has been prepared using a solvothermal process and characterized by structural, optical and magnetism. The crystal structure of 1 consists of a tetranuclear Co₄O₄ core in an open-cubane framework. Each cobalt(II) ion is penta-coordinated in a distorted square pyramidal geometry (τ_Co1=Co1i?=?0.030, τ_Co2=Co2i?=?0.023). Furthermore, the photoluminescence analysis indicates that 1 has a strong blue emission which should be attributed to coordination of the metal to the ligand. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibilities of 1 shows antiferromagnetic coupling (J?=???26.61?±?0.01) between cobalt(II) ions.     

Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Chromotropism of a Ni(II) and a Co(II) Compound with Acesulfamate as a Ligand

The novel bis(acesulfamato-O)tetraaquanickel(II) and bis(acesulfamato-N)tetraaquacobalt(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic measurements, u.v.–vis and FT-IR spectra. The thermal behavior of the complexes was also studied by simultaneous TG, DTG and DTA methods in a static air atmosphere. The crystal structure of bis(acesulfamato-O)tetraaquanickel(II) complex has been identified by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The acesulfamate ligand (acs) acts as an O-donor through the carbonyl oxygen as a monodentate ligand in the Ni(II) complex. The Ni(II) ion structure resides on a two-fold axis and is coordinated by four aqua ligands defining the basal plane, and by two monodentate acesulfamate ligands occupying the axial positions. The chromotropism of both complexes has been studied using thermal and spectral analysis. The bis(acesulfamato-N)tetraaquacobalt(II)complex is found to be very soluble in water and organic solvents and exhibits a reversible thermochromism from pink to violet depending on deaquation, which occurs in two steps, in the solid state. The bis(acesulfamato-O)tetraaquanickel(II) complex has shown two thermochromic properties one of which is a reversible and changes the color from green to yellow by an endothermic effect, whereas the other one is irreversible and changes from yellow to brown depending on deaquation, in the solid state. The bis(acesulfamato-N)tetraaquacobalt(II) complex exhibits solvatochromism in solvents with different donor number and ionochromism in the presence of various cations in solution.     

Li–S batteries: effect of uniaxial compression on the electrical conductivity and electrochemical performance of graphene aerogel cathodes

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Porous cathodes are preferred to be used in lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries for better impregnation of the active material. On the other hand, the...     

Thermal and morphological investigation of the effect of POSS-(PEG2000)8 addition to UV curable PEGMEA/PEGDA formulation and simultaneously in situ formed silver nanoparticles

In this study, hybrid nanocomposites were synthesized by photo-crosslinking of poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate/poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate monomer system using 2- (carboxymethoxy) thioxanthone and POSS-(PEG₂₀₀₀)₈. Additionally, AgNO₃ was added to this formulation and in situ formation of silver nanoparticles onto hybrid nanocomposites were achieved in one-step. UV–Vis spectroscopy technique was used as a very useful tool for surface plasmon resonance band detection of silver nanoparticles. In addition to thermogravimetric analyses which were performed in nitrogen atmosphere to determine the thermal stability of the nanocomposites, dynamic light scattering, and scanning electron microscopy techniques were also used for size and morphology of silver nanoparticles in a hybrid network. TGA analyses proved that even the addition of a very low amount of POSS-(PEG₂₀₀₀)₈ made noteworthy contribution to thermal stability especially in the presence of silver nanoparticles in the hybrid network. The swelling capacities of the prepared films were examined at 1, 3 and 24 h in phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7.4). It was found that film containing only POSS-(PEG₂₀₀₀)₈ had the highest swelling ratio in the shortest time.