Proactive Location-Based Scheduling of Delay-Constrained Traffic Over Fading Channels

In this paper, proactive resource allocation based on user location for point-to-point communication over fading channels is introduced, whereby the source must transmit a packet when the user requests it within a deadline of a single time slot. We introduce a prediction model in which the source predicts the request arrival $T_p$ slots ahead, where $T_p$ denotes the prediction window (PW) size. The source allocates energy to transmit some bits proactively for each time slot of the PW with the objective of reducing the transmission energy over the non-predictive case. The requests are predicted based on the user location utilizing the prior statistics about the user requests at each location. We also assume that the prediction is not perfect. We propose proactive scheduling policies to minimize the expected energy consumption required to transmit the requested packets under two different assumptions on the channel state information at the source. In the first scenario, offline scheduling, we assume the channel states are known a-priori at the source at the beginning of the PW. In the second scenario, online scheduling, it is assumed that the source has causal knowledge of the channel state. Numerical results are presented showing the gains achieved by using proactive scheduling policies compared with classical (reactive) networks. Simulation results also show that increasing the PW size leads to a significant reduction in the consumed transmission energy even with imperfect prediction.Comment: Conference: VTC2016-Fall, At Montreal-Canad

Optimal Energy Allocation For Delay-Constrained Traffic Over Fading Multiple Access Channels

In this paper, we consider a multiple-access fading channel where $N$ users transmit to a single base station (BS) within a limited number of time slots. We assume that each user has a fixed amount of energy available to be consumed over the transmission window. We derive the optimal energy allocation policy for each user that maximizes the total system throughput under two different assumptions on the channel state information. First, we consider the offline allocation problem where the channel states are known a priori before transmission. We solve a convex optimization problem to maximize the sum-throughput under energy and delay constraints. Next, we consider the online allocation problem, where the channels are causally known to the BS and obtain the optimal energy allocation via dynamic programming when the number of users is small. We also develop a suboptimal resource allocation algorithm whose performance is close to the optimal one. Numerical results are presented showing the superiority of the proposed algorithms over baseline algorithms in various scenarios.Comment: IEEE Global Communications Conference: Wireless Communications (Globecom2016 WC

CA19-9 as a Potential Target for Radiolabeled Antibody-Based Positron Emission Tomography of Pancreas Cancer.

Introduction. Sensitive and specific imaging of pancreas cancer are necessary for accurate diagnosis, staging, and treatment. The vast majority of pancreas cancers express the carbohydrate tumor antigen CA19-9. The goal of this study was to determine the potential to target CA19-9 with a radiolabeled anti-CA19-9 antibody for imaging pancreas cancer. Methods. CA19-9 was quantified using flow cytometry on human pancreas cancer cell lines. An intact murine anti-CA19-9 monoclonal antibody was labeled with a positron emitting radionuclide (Iodine-124) and injected into mice harboring antigen positive and negative xenografts. MicroPET/CT were performed at successive time intervals (72 hours, 96 hours, 120 hours) after injection. Radioactivity was measured in blood and tumor to provide objective confirmation of the images. Results. Antigen expression by flow cytometry revealed approximately 1.3 × 10(6) CA19-9 antigens for the positive cell line and no expression in the negative cell line. Pancreas xenograft imaging with Iodine-124-labeled anti-CA19-9 mAb demonstrated an average tumor to blood ratio of 5 and positive to negative tumor ratio of 20. Conclusion. We show in vivo targeting of our antigen positive xenograft with a radiolabeled anti-CA19-9 antibody. These data demonstrate the potential to achieve anti-CA19-9 antibody based positron emission tomography of pancreas cancer

Challenges experienced by informal caregivers in cancer

Evidence from the literature highlights the significant negative impact of care giving on the physical, mental andfinancial aspects of caregivers’ lives. It also reinforces the importance of reducing the barriers to meeting the unmet needs of caregivers and that research priorities in intervention development need to focus on reducing the negative aspects of care giving. Increased assistance to caregivers needs to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills,income security, job protection and other supports to provide care, while maintaining their own health and well-being throughout the dying and grieving process. This is particularly important in light of the predicted shortfall in the number in caregivers and especially as caregivers are increasingly replacing skilled health workers in the delivery of unfamiliar, complex cancer care at home

Response of maize inbred lines to two European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) strains in Canada

Six lignées de maïs-grain (CM47, A619, F2, CM107, CM7 et A654) ont été évaluées en 1986 et 1987 dans quatre localités de l'Ontario et du Québec pour leur résistance à des infestations artificielles de la pyrale du maïs, Ostrinia nubilalis, de la race univoltine et de la première génération de la race bivoltine. Trois critères ont été utilisés: la criblure du feuillage, les dégâts totaux des plantes à la récolte, et le rapport longueur des galeries creusées par les chenilles dans les tiges sur la hauteur des plantes. Des interactions importantes ont été observées pour les critères utilisés entre les années et localités, mais la réaction des lignées de maïs a été plutôt constante. Pour tous les critères, la race univoltine a souvent causé, d'une façon significative, plus de dégâts aux plantes que la race bivoltine. En général, la lignée A619 a démontré le plus de résistance-tolérance tout en conservant une bonne tenue des tiges jusqu'à la récolte. On aurait avantage à utiliser la race univoltine dans les programmes d'amélioration génétique du maïs pour sa résistance à la pyrale.In 1986 and 1987, six maize inbred lines (CM47, A619, F2, CM107, CM7, and A654) were evaluated at four locations across Ontario and Quebec for their resistance to artificially infested univoltine and lst generation bivoltine strains of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis. Three criteria were used: leaf feeding, total plant damage at harvest and length of tunnels/plant height ratio. Substantial interactions in borer damage measurements were observed between locations and years, but inbred reaction was relatively consistent. For all criteria, the univoltine strain often caused significantly more damage than the bivoltine borer. In general, A619 had the greatest resistance-tolerance with good standability until harvest. Wherever possible, evaluation of genetic resistance in maize germplasm should be conducted using the univoltine borer strain

Adolescent self-control predicts midlife hallucinatory experiences:40-year follow-up of a national birth cohort

Associations between self-control in adolescence and adult mental health are unclear in the general population; to our knowledge, no study has investigated self-control in relation to psychotic-like symptoms

What Is a “Substantial Burden” on Religion Under RFRA and the First Amendment?

What is the meaning of a “substantial burden” on religion under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (and its state-level equivalents)? This question is timelier than ever, as several pending cert petitions before the Supreme Court ask it to overturn the landmark decision that spurred RFRA’s enactment: Employment Division v. Smith, which held that exemptions for burdens on religion are not required from neutral and generally applicable laws. Whether or not the Court grants any of these cert petitions, judges will continue to need a clear and reliable method for identifying substantial burdens on religion. This Article considers several existing tests and proposes a new framework designed to remedy their shortcomings. Put simply, a court’s analysis of a substantial burden requires it to ask two questions: (1) What type of religious exercise does the law burden? And (2) what type of impact does the law have on that exercise? The Article develops answers to both questions, by specifying the kind of religious exercise that can be substantially burdened in the first place (what I’ll call obligation and substantial religious autonomy), and by sketching several types of substantial impact laws might have on religion (what I’ll call simply punitive, indirectly punitive, non-punitive, or preventive burdens). Only burdens that meet these two criteria together can properly be considered substantial. Taken together, these two prongs of the framework help us generate a taxonomy of at least eight different kinds of substantial burdens on religion. But a challenge remains: Would judicial application of this framework—particularly, would asking what type of religious exercise the law burdens— violate the Establishment Clause? In response, the Article clarifies the kinds of Establishment Clause concerns one might have about any judicial effort to interpret the substantiality of a burden on religion. Ultimately, it finds, the proposed framework can withstand all those concerns. Finally, the Article shows more precisely how the framework would help the Supreme Court decide a number of recent and potentially forthcoming cases involving substantial-burden claims