A Statistical Method for Reconfiguration of Cognitive Radios

Recent developments in computer technology have enabled radio developers to accomplish in software what traditionally was performed with application-specific integrated circuits. A radio that has the core of its functionality implemented in software is called a software-defined radio. When an SDR has the capability to sense, reason, and dynamically adapt to requirements and environmental change, we call this more capable device a cognitive radio. Many private and public agencies are investing in the promise of CR to improve the utilization of radio frequency spectrum. They envision devices that can sense frequency vacancies and dynamically reconfigure to utilize idle channels. The promise of CR depends on the capability of a radio to change operating frequencies, power, and/or modulation schemes (physical layer flexibility). In addition to this physical layer flexibility, there are a large number of opportunities to capitalize on the interplay of the CR physical layer configuration and other parameters in the radio network protocol stack. At the core of CR functionality is the ability to select from thousands of potential configurations to maximize performance-be it in terms of spectrum use, throughput, or reliability. In this article, we describe a method for selecting from a number of potential configurations to fulfill the communication requirements of a CR network. By using accepted statistical methods, we show how parameters at the physical, data link, network, and application layers interact to affect performance. We build upon this parametric insight with our presentation of a technique for predicting radio performance.     

Task versus relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction: A meta-analysis.

This study provides a meta-analysis of research on the associations between relationship conflict, task conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction. Consistent with past theorizing, results revealed strong and negative correlations between relationship conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction. In contrast to what has been suggested in both academic research and introductory textbooks, however, results also revealed strong and negative (instead of the predicted positive) correlations between task conflict, team performance, and team member satisfaction. As predicted, conflict had stronger negative relations with team performance in highly complex (decision making, project, mixed) than in less complex (production) tasks. Finally, task conflict was less negatively related to team performance when task conflict and relationship conflict were weakly, rather than strongly, correlated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Shock Initiation of PBX-9404 by electrically driven flyer plates

The shock initiation threshold of PBX-9404 has been studied over the pressure range 3.1 GPa-28 GPa with pulse lengths ranging from 0.007 μs-0.63 μs. The short-duration, high pressure pulses were produced by the impact of thin plastic flyer plates accelerated by electrically exploded metal foils. We performed the experiments on explosive pellets 25.4 mm in diameter with thicknesses of 6.0 mm, 10.1 mm and 19.1 mm. No dependence of the initiation threshold on pellet thickness was observed. The data are represented reasonably well by either the critical initiation energy or by the constant P²τ initiation criteria.     

Lipoxygenase Products in the Urine Correlate with Renal Function and Body Temperature but not with Acute Transplant Rejection

Acute transplant rejection is the leading cause of graft loss in the first months after kidney transplantation. Lipoxygenase products mediate pro- and anti-inflammatory actions and thus we aimed to correlate the histological reports of renal transplant biopsies with urinary lipoxygenase products concentrations to evaluate their role as a diagnostic marker. This study included a total of 34 kidney transplant recipients: 17 with an acute transplant rejection and 17 controls. LTE4, LTB4, 12-HETE and 15-HETE concentrations were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Urinary lipoxygenase product concentrations were not significantly changed during an acute allograft rejection. Nevertheless, LTB4 concentrations correlated significantly with the body temperature (P ≤ 0.05) 3 months after transplantation, and 12- and 15-HETE concentrations correlated significantly with renal function (P ≤ 0.05) 2 weeks after transplantation. In conclusion, our data show a correlation for LTB4 with the body temperature 3 months after transplantation and urinary 12- and 15-HETE concentrations correlate positively with elevated serum creatinine concentrations but do not predict acute allograft rejection.     

Making medication safety a strategic organizational priority

Since January 1998 the Executive Session on Medical Error and Patient Safety at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government has periodically convened a group of 25 to 30 practitioners (and a few academics) to discuss issues and identify strategies and solutions concerning patient safety. This profile is adapted from a case study presented at the Executive Session.     

Conflicting social motives in negotiating groups.

Negotiators' social motives (cooperative vs. individualistic) influence their strategic behaviors. In this study, the authors used multilevel modeling and analyses of strategy sequences to test hypotheses regarding how negotiators' social motives and the composition of the group influence group members' negotiation strategies. Four-person groups negotiating a 5-issue mixed-motive decision-making task were videotaped, and the tapes were transcribed and coded. Group composition included 2 homogeneous conditions (all cooperators and all individualists) and 3 heterogeneous conditions (3 cooperators and 1 individualist, 2 cooperators and 2 individualists, 1 cooperator and 3 individualists). Results showed that cooperative negotiators adjusted their use of integrative and distributive strategies in response to the social-motive composition of the group, but individualistic negotiators did not. Results from analyses of strategy sequences showed that cooperators responded more systematically to others' behaviors than did individualists. They also redirected the negotiation depending on group composition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extraction and Clarification of Orange Wax Obtained from Waste of the Citrus Industry

The processing of the orange leads to a large generation of waste, which is underutilized or discarded. Thus, this study proposes a route to treat oily waste from the orange juice industry, transforming it into a by-product of higher added value to the chemical industry. The orange wax is obtained by hydrodistillation and solvent extraction, and the clarification of the wax is carried out with the oxidative treatment using H₂O₂. A 3² Experimental Design confirmed that the factors, temperature, and concentration of the reactant, influence both response variables, the colorimetric changes and yield. The obtained waxes are characterized by chromatographic (CG-MS), thermal, and rheological analysis. The results of the CG-MS indicate that the clarification method is effective as the components responsible for the pigmentation and odor of the wax cannot be identified after the clarification process. Thermogravimetry analysis and differential exploratory calorimetryindicate a slight increase in thermal stability and a decrease in crystallinity after the clarification process. Rheological analyses show that the obtained waxes present similar flow behavior as commercial beeswax. Therefore, it can be affirmed that this work obtains a green wax from a residue for potential replacement of commercial waxes according to its properties analyzed. Practical applications: This work shows the extraction of orange wax from oily industrial wastes for possible applications in the food and cosmetics industries. The orange wax can be a sustainable substitute for nonrenewable products and supply the wax market due to the high demand. In addition, methods for processing and characterization of the waxes are presented in this work.     

Mixed-indicators model for identifying emerging research areas

This study presents a mixed model that combines different indicators to describe and predict key structural and dynamic features of emerging research areas. Three indicators are combined: sudden increases in the frequency of specific words; the number and speed by which new authors are attracted to an emerging research area, and changes in the interdisciplinarity of cited references. The mixed model is applied to four emerging research areas: RNAi, Nano, h-Index, and Impact Factor research using papers published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (1982–2009) and in Scientometrics (1978–2009). Results are compared in terms of strengths and temporal dynamics. Results show that the indicators are indicative of emerging areas and they exhibit interesting temporal correlations: new authors enter the area first, then the interdisciplinarity of paper references increases, then word bursts occur. All workflows are reported in a manner that supports replication and extension by others.     

Health human periodontal versus peri-implant gingival tissues: an immunohistochemical differentiation of the extracellular matrix

Healthy human periodontal and peri-implant (ITI Bonefit) keratinized gingival tissues were studied immunohistochemically to evaluate the possible presence of structural differences in the extracellular matrix protein localization. Collagen types I, III, IV, and VII and fibronectin showed similar distribution in these tissues. Compared to the periodontal tissues, collagen type V was localized in higher amounts in the lamina propria of the peri-implant gingival tissues. Collagen type VI stained the periodontal tissues as a delicate microfibrillar network contrasting to the not well-stained peri-implant gingival tissues. The data show that structural differences between these tissues are present. The structural differences may be responsible for the defense of peri-implant keratinized gingival connective tissues to bacterial penetration, because of the high amount of the collagen type V component, which is responsible for the higher collagenase stability.