On the impact of physical layer awareness on scheduling and resource allocation in broadband multicellular IEEE 802.16 systems [Radio Resource Management and Protocol Engineering for IEEE 802.16]

Multicellular networks based on the IEEE 802.16 standard appear to be very promising candidates to provide end users with broadband wireless access. However, they also pose interesting challenges in terms of radio resource management, where several design choices are not specified in the standard, intentionally left open to implementors. For this reason, we focus in this article on scheduling and resource allocation, and investigate how they could operate in a cross-layer fashion. In particular, we describe the principles of joint scheduling and resource allocation for IEEE 802.16 operating in AMC mode, and discuss the critical role played by physical layer considerations, especially intercell interference estimation and channel state awareness, in the obtained performance. This leads to identifying key open issues and possible general solutions     

Primary lymphoma of the breast. Three cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Primary and sole breast lymphoma is a very rare disease. With the review of our series of 616 cases operated on for breast cancer, only 3 cases (0.48%) of primary breast non-Hodgkin lymphoma (LNH) have been observed. The authors outline the problems concerning diagnosis and therapy of this rare disease: pathological and immunohistochemical aspects are discussed. They stress the importance of staging in order to plan a correct multidisciplinary approach.     

Spinal reflex pattern to foot nociceptive stimulation in standing humans

We describe here the results of a screening program conducted to discover inhibitors of the type-I interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1RI) from samples of microbial origin. An innovative approach, based on automated, nonradioactive receptor binding assays has been employed. Specially prepared cell-free systems have allowed the use of high concentrations of microbial metabolites in the reaction mixtures with a low percentage of false positives. More than 30,000 microbial samples from different species of soil isolates have been tested and two interesting activities have been purified and characterized. One of these, isolated from Streptomyces sp. GE48009, was identified as niphimycin, an antifungal agent also known as scopafungin. Preliminary evidence suggests that this molecule and azalomycin F, a structural analogue, inhibit IL-IRI by virtue of their long-chain guanidinium moiety. The other activity, isolated from Aspergillus sp. GE49752, was identified as flavipin, a substituted o-phthalaldehyde.     

Large deflections and stability FEM analysis of shear deformable compressed anisotropic flat panels

This paper deals with the non-linear analysis of multilayered axially compressed plates in the static elastic conservative cases. A finite element model based on a Reissner-Mindlin theory involving von Kármán nonlinearity is developed. Results related to the classical Kirchhoff plate approximations are obtained via application of a penalty technique to the shear correction factor. The numerical investigations have concerned the large deflections and postbuckling behaviour of symmetrically and non-symmetrically anisotropic flat panels. The main conclusions are: (1) the non-linear effects very much depend on lay-up and boundary conditions, moreover for the asymmetric laminated long plates the snapping-type instability occurs; (2) the shear deformation effects are very much subordinate to both multilayered lay-up and load levels, furthermore they are greater in the large deflections field; (3) it has been observed that in the neighbourhood of a singularity (of buckling point type) of the tangent stiffness matrix, the use of an arc-length type algorithm could lead to a new buckled path and that happens without employing an appropriate turning bifurcation algorithm with an accompanying eigenvalues calculation, but via a non-convergent iteration in the loadstep.     

Enhancement Effects in the Percutaneous Absorption of Alprazolam Through Human Skin in vitro

The enhancement effects of some chemicals on the percutaneous absorption of alprazolam through human skin was investigated in vitro. Linoleic acid, oleic acid, Comperlan F® (linoleic acid diethanolamide), Comperlan KD® (coconut fatty acid diethanolamide) and Ethomeen C12® (bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)cocamine) were evaluated for their enhancing effect either as neat solvents or combined with propylene glycol. The effects of skin pretreatment with the enhancers on the percutaneous absorption of alprazolam from a drug suspension in an aqueous gel were also investigated: skin pretreatment with some enhancers has shown potentially interesting aspects. The determination of alprazolam partitioning into untreated and pretreated horny layer supported the idea that, with oleic and linoleic acid, a contribution to the modification of the diffusional resistance of the skin was given by an increase of the drug solubility in the stratum coraeum.     

Magnetic resonance features of supravalvular aortic stenosis in William''s syndrome. Report of 2 cases

A wandering spleen and splenic cysts are uncommon conditions in children. A combination of both entities has only rarely been reported in the literature. Another case of this complex pathology in 12-year-old girl is presented. She was initially referred for evaluation of a large abdominal mass. Diagnostic studies raised the suspicion of a hematoma in an abnormally located spleen, but the definitive diagnosis was established at laparotomy. Successful surgical management consisted of total cystectomy and splenopexy.     

Steps towards a consumer-driven ‘concept innovation machine’ for food and drink

Innovation is often left to insight and serendipity. A lot of what researchers call innovation is actually a process by which one can make the individual consumer or practitioner more ‘creative’. Although it is important to work with the creative individual in hopes of coming up with the better ‘idea’ and new product/service opportunity, an equally valid albeit novel and counterintuitive approach systematizes creativity in a ‘research-driven machine’. This paper presents an approach to the systematization, based upon the point of view that creativity and innovation comprise the recombination of components into new blends. Given this point of view, to then spur innovation requires a systematic database that the user can access, with tools to help manipulate that database. The paper shows how such a database can be constructed and then used to create a novel product. The approach provides a general framework for the sensory professional to become more involved in the early stages of product development, where the focus is on the conceptual aspects of food features rather than on their physical manifestations in actual products.     

New accurate two-noded shear-flexible curved beam elements

 There are two purposes of this work. One is to present two accurate two-noded finite elements which are derived from the potential energy principle and the Hellinger–Reissner functional principle respectively. The second is to show the successful application of the internal displacement parameters in developing a high-order related displacement-rotation interpolation field. Because the derived interpolation field is capable of accurately modeling deformation modes in extreme thin curved beams and nearly straight beams, both shear locking and membrane shocking are avoided. Several standard numerical tests display superior behaviors of the present elements. Received: 5 February 2002 / Accepted: 16 September 2002     

Bioprocess applications of model-based estimation techniques

The last decade has seen the development of a number of approaches for estimating those variables which are difficult to measure on-line in industrial process situations. Whilst a range of techniques is available, a common element is the use of process knowledge in the form of a system model. In the case of bioprocess systems, although a large range of models has been presented in the literature, their use in estimation schemes on an industrial scale has been limited. A number of reasons can be identified for their low level of utilisation. Of particular significance is the uncertainty which exists in quantifying system performance and the process-model mismatch which inevitably results. The level of ‘pre-defined model’ uncertainty, together with the knowledge gained during the course of the fermentation, serves to dictate estimator structure. The paper considers a range of estimation strategies and contrasts, through industrial applications, their performance characteristics and utility.     

分布系统中多米诺效应的分析与消除

分布系统中发生故障后,错误信息在进程间的传播,以及由此引起的系统恢复过程中的多米诺效应是分布系统容错恢复技术所面临的最重要与最困难的问题.目前各种研究工作偏重于具体的系统动态恢复技术.本文的研究重点在于首次揭示多米诺效应本身固有的数量特征及其与分布系统技术参数间的联系,给出多米诺效应动态消除技术,引入系统额外开销的下限,并针对动态技术的缺点,探讨多米诺效应的静态消除技术,为解决困难开辟新途径.