Access Scheduling Research Articles

Conflict-Aware Relay Selection for Multicast in MUD based Wireless Networks

Multipoint Relays (MPR) [1] selection is a good step toward building a very proficient routing scheme for multicast/broadcast communications. It considers the fact that data transmitted by a node is overheard by all the users in the sender’s communication range, called the Wireless Broadcast Advantage (WBA) [2][4][6]. However, when a node elects its MPR nodes it does not consider their channel qualities (i.e. they do not consider the Multi-User Diversity (MUD) [3][5] factor), that has a significant influence on the network performance. Many other works consider the MUD and the rate adaptation (RA) features [15][16]. However these works are distorted by severe simplifications that are made about some common wireless network problems such as: the number of transmissions, the access scheduling, the interference conflicts, etc. In this paper, we introduce three new MUD, WBA and RA based relay selection schemes. The first one proposed, called the Efficient Multi-user Diversity based Relay (E-MDR) selection scheme, is done over steps by exploiting the channel qualities in term of maximum achievable data rate (or channel capacity). The proposed EMDR based flooding strategy achieves the best multicast throughput without considering concurrent transmissions. It aims jointly (i) to reduce the number of relays, (ii) to maximize the throughput of each single multicast session (or partition), (iii) to reduce the number of transmissions, (iv) to exploit extremely the offered link capacities and as a consequence (v) to enhance the allover network throughput. The second MUD, WBA and RA based relay selection scheme, called the Conflict free Multi-user Diversity based Relay (C-MDR) selection scheme, performs relay selection with consideration of the interference factor. It targets (i) to select relay nodes and their data transmission rates that maximize the multicast throughput, (ii) to consider the effect of access scheduling when choosing relay nodes and (iii) to resolve conflict problems. Finally, the EC-MDR is proposed to do a compromise between C-MDR and E-MDR.

Optimization of transport capacity in wireless multihop networks

Gamal et al. (IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory 52:2568–2592, 2006) showed that the end-to-end delay is n times the end-to-end throughput under centralized time division multiple access scheduling. In our other work (IEEE Trans. Mobile Computing, in press), it was proved that the relationship between the end-to-end throughput and the end-to-end delay of Gamal et al. still holds under the IEEE 802.11 distributed coordination function (DCF) when the carrier sensing range and the packet generation rate are jointly optimized. The main purpose of this study is to determine whether the result in our other work is achievable when the transmission range is adjusted instead of the carrier sensing range. To this end, we revise the transport capacity by reflecting a queue at each node and optimize the revised transport capacity by jointly controlling the transmission distance and the packet generation rate. Under our system model, it is shown that the end-to-end throughput and the end-to-end delay scale are and , respectively, where n is the number of nodes in the network. That is to say, the result that the end-to-end delay is n times the end-to-end throughput under the DCF mode is also estabilished while jointly optimizing the transmission range and packet generation rate.

Large-scale access scheduling in wireless mesh networks using social centrality

Wireless mesh networking is an economic and convenient way to provide last mile Internet access through ad hoc peer-to-peer communication links. However, without systematic network configuration and channel resource management, these networks suffer from scalability, performance degradation and service disruption issues due to overwhelming co-channel interference, unscrupulous channel utilization and inherent network mobility. The IEEE 802.11 DCF and EDCA mechanisms based on CSMA/CA are the most widely used random channel access mechanisms, but unfortunately these cannot effectively eliminate hidden terminal and exposed terminal problems in multi-hop scenarios. Social network analysis techniques proposed for economic and social studies have recently been shown to be a successful approach for characterizing information propagation in multi-hop wireless networks. We propose a set of efficient resource allocation algorithms and channel access scheduling protocols based on Latin squares and social centrality metrics for wireless mesh networks (WMNs) with multi-radio multi-channel (MRMC) communication capabilities, called LaSo, which can coexist with IEEE 802.11 DCF and be effectively applied in large scale WMNs. Based on interference information provided by the interference graph, LaSo uses nodal degree centrality to form cliques for intra-cluster communication, and betweenness centrality to choose bridge nodes to form cliques for inter-cluster communication in WMNs, and then applies Latin squares to map the clique-based clustering structure to radios and channels for wireless communication purposes. Afterwards, LaSo again applies Latin squares to schedule the channel access amongst nodes within each cluster in a collision-free manner. We evaluate LaSo using simulations, and results show that LaSo achieves much better performance than existing IEEE 802.11 standards and other multi-channel access control protocols.

On Random Access Scheduling for Multimedia Traffic in Multihop Wireless Networks with Fading Channels

In this paper, we develop distributed random access scheduling schemes that exploit the time-varying nature of fading channels for multimedia traffic in multihop wireless networks. It should be noted that while centralized scheduling solutions can achieve optimal throughput under this setting, they incur high-computational complexity and require centralized coordination requiring global channel information. The proposed solution not only achieves provable performance guarantees under a wide range of interference models, but also can be implemented in a distributed fashion using local information. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first distributed scheduling mechanism for fading channels that achieves provable performance guarantees. We show through simulations that the proposed schemes achieve better empirical performance than other known distributed scheduling schemes.

Dynamic Subcarrier Allocation for 100 Gbps, 40 km OFDMA-PONs With SLA and CoS

The quality of service of 100 Gbps orthogonal frequency division multiple access passive optical networks (OFDMA-PONs) performing dynamic bandwidth allocation is evaluated. New medium access control protocols and frame formats have been developed, exhibiting hybrid OFDMA/time division multiple access scheduling, for capacity enhancement and granular bandwidth allocation. The sequential dynamic subcarrier allocation algorithms allow the network optical line terminal to grant the optical network units (ONUs) bandwidth using both status and non-status based algorithm. Simulations of a 100 Gbps network with 256 ONUs, 256 subcarriers and 40 km extended-reach demonstrate best network throughputs of 87.5 Gbps and 3 ms packet delays for high priority service classes, even at maximum ONU load. In addition, high service level agreement (SLA) ONUs exhibit 1.56 Gbps maximum capacity and 48.82 kbps granularity.

Arcuate Nucleus Homeostatic Systems are Not Altered Immediately Prior to the Scheduled Consumption of Large, Binge‐Type Meals of Palatable Solid or Liquid Diet in Rats and Mice

Meal feeding is a critical issue in the over-consumption of calories leading to human obesity. To investigate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of meal feeding in rodents, we studied a scheduled feeding regime that induces substantial food intake over short periods of time. Male Sprague-Dawley rats and C57BL6 mice were fed one of four palatable diets [45% fat pellet, 60% fat pellet or standard pellet supplemented with Ensure (EN; Abbott Laboratories, Maidenhead, UK) or 12.5% sucrose (SUC)] either ad lib. or with daily 2-h scheduled access and standard pellet available for 22 h. Energy balance gene expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) reward gene expression were assessed by in situ hybridisation. Rats fed ad lib. on 45% or 60% fat diet were heavier and fatter than controls, and had reduced neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression in the ARC. Mice fed ad lib. on any of the palatable diets were heavier, fatter and had higher blood leptin than controls, and had reduced NPY and increased cocaine- and-amphetamine-regulated transcript mRNA in the ARC. Schedule-fed rats and mice quickly adapted their feeding behaviour to 2-h access on palatable food. Three schedule-fed groups binged: the percentage of daily calories consumed in 2 h on 45% fat diet, 60% fat diet or EN, respectively, was 55%, 63% and 49% in rats, and 86%, 86% and 45% in mice. However, changed feeding behaviour was not reflected in an induction of orexigenic neuropeptide or suppression of anorexigenic neuropeptide gene expression in the ARC, in the 2-h period prior to scheduled feeding. The mechanisms underlying large meal/binge-type eating may be regulated by nonhomeostatic processes involving other genes in the hypothalamus or other brain areas. However, assessment of opioid and dopamine receptor gene expression in the NAcc did not reveal evidence of the involvement of these genes in driving large meals, at least at the investigated time point.

Distributed fair DRAM scheduling in network-on-chips architecture

Memory access scheduling is an effective manner to improve performance of Chip Multi-Processors (CMPs) by taking advantage of the timing characteristics of a DRAM. A memory access scheduler can subdivide resources utilization (banks and rows) to increase throughput by accessing different DRAM banks in parallel. However, different threads running on different cores may exhibit different performance. One thread may experience starvation while the others are serviced normally. Therefore, designing a scheduler which reduces the unfairness in the DRAM system, while also improving system throughput on a variety of workloads and systems, is necessary. In this paper, a distributed fair DRAM scheduling for two-dimensional mesh network-on-chips (NoCs), called DFDS, is presented. The key design points in DFDS are: (i) assessing the total waiting cycles of a memory request in NoC and considering it as a metric in arbitration. For this purpose waiting cycles of a memory request are put in an additional flit in a packet and are updated while traversing the NoC, and (ii) proposing a semi-dynamic virtual channel allocation to provide in-order memory requests to memory controllers (MCs). Consequently, we use a simple scheduling algorithm in MCs, instead of complex algorithms. To validate our approach, we apply synthetic and real workload from Parsec benchmark suite. The results show effectiveness of our approach, as we reduce the waiting time of memory requests by up to 15%.

Intermittent access to sweet high-fat liquid induces increased palatability and motivation to consume in a rat model of binge consumption

Binge eating disorders are characterized by discrete episodes of rapid and excessive food consumption. In rats, giving intermittent access to sweet fat food mimics this aspect of binge eating. These models typically employ solid food; however, the total amount consumed depends on motivation, palatability and satiety, which are difficult to dissociate with solid food. In contrast, lick microstructure analysis can be used to dissociate these parameters when the ingestant is a liquid. Therefore, we developed a binge model using a liquid emulsion composed of corn oil, heavy cream and sugar. We show that rats given intermittent access to this high-fat emulsion develop binge-like behavior comparable to that previously observed with solid high-fat food. One feature of this behavior was a gradual escalation in consumption across 2.5weeks of intermittent access, which was not apparent in rats given lower-fat liquid on the same access schedule. Lick microstructure analysis suggests that this escalation was due at least in part to increases in both motivation to consume and palatability-driven consumption.

A case for centrally controlled wireless sensor networks

In this article we present the Intelligent, Manageable, Power-Efficient and Reliable Internetworking Architecture (IMPERIA), a centrally managed architecture for large-scale wireless sensor networks (WSNs). We discuss the advantages of a centralized management over distributed approaches and derive our design by rigorously minimizing the amount of state information on individual sensor nodes and all sources of message collision during network operations. The result is a clustered multi-hop TDMA protocol that globally synchronizes the network and collects data at ultra-low power consumption.We present the end-to-end architecture and detail the algorithms we developed for (a) efficient network topology discovery and link quality estimation, (b) combined routing and clustering for pre-defined basestations, and (c) the scheduling of the medium access for multi-cluster and multi-channel data collection.IMPERIA has been implemented on TinyOS and IBM’s Mote Runner and successfully deployed in applications for vibration sensing as well as datacenter energy management. This article summarizes the performance results from simulations, laboratory experiments, and deployment measurements that support our design decisions.

Sex and age differences in heavy binge drinking and its effects on alcohol responsivity following abstinence

Binge drinking during adolescence may perturb the maturing neuroenvironment and increase susceptibility of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life. In the present series of experiments, we utilized a modified version of the drinking in the dark-multiple scheduled access (DID-MSA) procedure to study how heavy binge drinking during adolescence alters responsivity to ethanol later in adulthood. Adult and adolescent C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) males and females were given access to a 20% ethanol solution for 3 hourly periods, each separated by 2h of free water access. B6 adults and adolescents consumed 2 to 3.5g/kg ethanol an hour and displayed significant intoxication and binge-like blood ethanol concentrations. There was an interaction of sex and age, however, driven by high intakes in adult B6 females, who peaked at 11.01g/kg. Adolescents of both sexes and adult males never consumed more than 9.3g/kg. D2 mice consumed negligible amounts of alcohol and showed no evidence of intoxication. B6 mice were abstinent for one month and were retested on the balance beam 10min following 1.75g/kg ethanol challenge (20%v/v; i.p). They were also tested for changes in home cage locomotion immediately following the 1.75g/kg dose (for 10min prior to balance beam). Although there was no effect of age of exposure, all mice with a binge drinking history demonstrated a significantly dampened ataxic response to an ethanol challenge. Female mice that binge drank during adulthood showed a significantly augmented locomotor response to ethanol when compared to their water drinking controls. This alteration was not noted for males or for females that binge drank during adolescence. These results highlight the importance of biological sex, and its interaction with age, in the development of behavioral adaptation following binge drinking.

Baclofen-induced reductions in optional food intake depend upon food composition

Baclofen reduces intake of some foods but stimulates intake or has no effect on others. The reasons for these differences are not known. The present study examined effects of baclofen when composition, energy density, preference, presentation and intake of optional foods varied. Semi-solid fat emulsions and sucrose products were presented for brief periods to non-food-deprived rats. In Experiment 1, fat and sucrose composition were varied while controlling energy density. In Experiment 2A, schedule of access and the number of optional foods were varied. In Experiment 2B, the biopolymer (thickener) was examined. Baclofen reduced intake of fat and/or sugar options with different energy densities (1.28–9kcal/g), when presented daily or intermittently, and when intakes were relatively high or low. However, the efficacy of baclofen was affected by the biopolymer used to thicken the options: baclofen had no effect when options were thickened with one biopolymer (3173), but reduced intake when options were thickened with another biopolymer (515). Baclofen failed to reduce intake of a concentrated sugar option (64% sucrose), regardless of biopolymer. Based upon these results, caution is urged when interpreting results obtained with products using different thickening agents. Systematic research is needed when designing products used in rat models of food intake.

BK channel β1 and β4 auxiliary subunits exert opposite influences on escalated ethanol drinking in dependent mice

Large conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels play a key role in the control of neuronal activity. Ethanol is a potent activator of BK channel gating, but how this action may impact ethanol drinking still remains poorly understood. Auxiliary β subunits are known to modulate ethanol-induced potentiation of BK currents. In the present study, we investigated whether BK β1 and β4 subunits influence voluntary ethanol consumption using knockout (KO) mice. In a first experiment, mice were first subjected to continuous two-bottle choice (2BC) and were then switched to intermittent 2BC, which progressively increased ethanol intake as previously described in wildtype mice. BK β1 or β4 subunit deficiency did not affect ethanol self-administration under either schedule of access. In a second experiment, mice were first trained to drink ethanol in a limited-access 2BC paradigm. BK β1 or β4 deletion did not affect baseline consumption. Weeks of 2BC were then alternated with weeks of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) or air inhalation. As expected, a gradual escalation of ethanol drinking was observed in dependent wildtype mice, while intake remained stable in non-dependent wildtype mice. However, CIE exposure only produced a mild augmentation of ethanol consumption in BK β4 KO mice. Conversely, ethanol drinking increased after fewer CIE cycles in BK β1 KO mice than in wildtype mice. In conclusion, BK β1 or β4 did not influence voluntary ethanol drinking in non-dependent mice, regardless of the pattern of access to ethanol. However, deletion of BK β4 attenuated, while deletion of BK β1 accelerated, the escalation of ethanol drinking during withdrawal from CIE. Our data suggest that BK β1 and β4 subunits have an opposite influence on the negative reinforcing properties of ethanol withdrawal. Modulating the expression, distribution or interactions of BK channel auxiliary subunits may therefore represent a novel avenue for the treatment of alcoholism.

Data Timed Sending (DTS) Energy Efficient Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks: Simulation and Testbed Verification

The Data Timed Sending (DTS) protocol contributes to the energy savings in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and prolongs the sensor nodes’ battery lifetime. DTS saves energy by transmitting short packets, without data payload, from the sensor nodes to the base station or the cluster head according to the Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) scheduling. Placing the short packets into appropriate slots and subslots in the TDMA frames transfers the information about the measured values and node identity. This paper presents the proof of concept of the proposed DTS protocol and provides verification of the energy savings using the QualNet®; communication simulation platform (QualNet) and the SunTM Small Programmable Object Technology (Sun SPOT) testbed platform (for single hop and multi hop scenarios). The simulations and the testbed measurements confirm that the DTS protocol can provide energy savings up to 30% when compared with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard in unslotted Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA-CA) mode at 2.4 GHz frequency band.

What if wireless routers were social? approaching wireless mesh networks from a social networks perspective

Wireless mesh networks consist of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology for serving wireless mesh clients to communicate with one another or to connect to the Internet. Nodes in a mesh network can communicate with each other either directly or through one or more intermediate nodes, similar to social networks. WMNs share many common properties with social networks. We first identify the differences and similarities between social networks and WMNs, and then use metrics that are typically used for social network analysis to assess real WMNs. Analyzing real WMN data collected from the University of California at Santa Barbara MeshNet and Massachusetts Institue of Technology Roofnet testbeds reveals that using SNA metrics are helpful in designing WMNs with better performance. We demonstrate the validity of our conclusions and this new approach by focusing on two sample applications: network reliability assessment and channel access scheduling.

Communications and control co-design: a combined dynamic-static scheduling approach

This paper investigates the problem of joint design of an output feedback controller and the medium access scheduling policy for networked control systems (NCSs). The capacity of communication networks on sensors side and actuators side are limited so that at any time the sensors and actuators cannot be accommodated simultaneously and that transmission delays are inevitable. The joint design problem is solved in three steps: determining communication sequences (called feasible sequences) for both sides that can preserve controllability and observability, respectively; designing output feedback controller without considering the effect of communication sequences; and setting up a rule that governs the switching between feasible communication sequences. Essentially, the first step is a static scheduling procedure that yields a set of feasible communication sequences for each side. The third step is a dynamic scheduling process resulting in a switching policy in line of a stability criterion of the closed-loop switching delay system. To show the effectiveness of the combined static and dynamic scheduling method, a numerical example is also provided.

Algorithms for a shared resource scheduling problem in which some level of conflict is tolerable

In certain shared resource applications, such as file access scheduling for a network of computer users, some level of conflict between the elements of the schedule is tolerable. A scheduling problem of this nature may be modelled as a generalisation of the classical vertex colouring problem for graphs, called the maximum degree graph colouring problem. In this paper we present four algorithmic procedures for solving the maximum degree graph colouring problem. The first two of these algorithms (a simple heuristic and a tabu search metaheuristic) produce approximate solutions, while the other two algorithms are exact. The runtime efficiencies of and the solution qualities produced by these procedures are tested with respect to a number of graph benchmarks from the literature.

Routing Protocol for Mobile Nodes in Wireless Sensor Network

sensor network made up of sensor nodes which are fix or mobile. LEACH is clustered based protocol uses time division multiple access. It supports mobile nodes in WSN. Mobile node changes cluster. LEACH wait for two TDMA cycles to update the cluster, within these two cycles mobile node which changed cluster head, can't send data to any other cluster head, it causes packet loss. We propose an adaptive Low Packet Loss Routing protocol which support mobile node with low packet loss. This protocol uses time division multiple access scheduling to reserve the battery of sensor node. We form clusters, each cluster head update cluster after every TDMA cycle to reduce packet loss. The proposed protocol sends data to cluster heads in an efficient manner based on received signal strength. The performance of proposed LPLR protocol is evaluated using NS2.34 on Linux 2.6.23.1.42.fc8 platform. It has been observed that the proposed protocol reduces the packet loss compared to LEACH-Mobile protocol.

A scalable joint routing and scheduling scheme for large-scale wireless sensor networks

The multihop configuration of a large-scale wireless sensor network enables multiple simultaneous transmissions without interference within the network. Existing time division multiple access (TDMA) scheduling schemes exploit gain based on the assumption that the path is optimally determined by a routing protocol. In contrast, our scheme jointly considers routing and scheduling and introduces several new concepts. We model a large-scale wireless sensor network as a tiered graph relative to its distance from the sink, and introduce the notion of relay graph and relay factor to direct the next-hop candidates toward the sink fairly and efficiently. The sink develops a transmission and reception schedule for the sensor nodes based on the tiered graph search for a set of nodes that can simultaneously transmit and receive. The resulting schedule eventually allows data from each sensor node to be delivered to the sink. We analyze our scheduling algorithm both numerically and by simulation, and we discuss the impact of protocol parameters. Further, we prove that our scheme is scalable to the number of nodes, from the perspectives of mean channel capacity and maximum number of concurrent transmission nodes. Compared with the existing TDMA scheduling schemes, our scheme shows better performance in network throughput, path length, end-to-end delay, and fairness index.

Scheduled Daily Mating Induces Circadian Anticipatory Activity Rhythms in the Male Rat

Daily schedules of limited access to food, palatable high calorie snacks, water and salt can induce circadian rhythms of anticipatory locomotor activity in rats and mice. All of these stimuli are rewarding, but whether anticipation can be induced by neural correlates of reward independent of metabolic perturbations associated with manipulations of food and hydration is unclear. Three experiments were conducted to determine whether mating, a non-ingestive behavior that is potently rewarding, can induce circadian anticipatory activity rhythms in male rats provided scheduled daily access to steroid-primed estrous female rats. In Experiment 1, rats anticipated access to estrous females in the mid-light period, but also exhibited post-coital eating and running. In Experiment 2, post-coital eating and running were prevented and only a minority of rats exhibited anticipation. Rats allowed to see and smell estrous females showed no anticipation. In both experiments, all rats exhibited sustained behavioral arousal and multiple mounts and intromissions during every session, but ejaculated only every 2–3 days. In Experiment 3, the rats were given more time with individual females, late at night for 28 days, and then in the midday for 28 days. Ejaculation rates increased and anticipation was robust to night sessions and significant although weaker to day sessions. The anticipation rhythm persisted during 3 days of constant dark without mating. During anticipation of nocturnal mating, the rats exhibited a significant preference for a tube to the mating cage over a tube to a locked cage with mating cage litter. This apparent place preference was absent during anticipation of midday mating, which may reflect a daily rhythm of sexual reward. The results establish mating as a reward stimulus capable of inducing circadian rhythms of anticipatory behavior in the male rat, and reveal a critical role for ejaculation, a modulatory role for time of day, and a potential confound role for uncontrolled food intake.

The α1‐Adrenergic Receptor Antagonist, Doxazosin, Reduces Alcohol Drinking in Alcohol‐Preferring (P) Rats

Evidence supports a role for the noradrenergic system in alcohol drinking in animals and humans. Our previous studies demonstrated the efficacy of prazosin, an α1-adrenergic antagonist, in decreasing alcohol drinking in rat models of alcohol dependence. Prazosin has also been shown to decrease alcohol drinking in treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent men. Clinically, the use of prazosin is limited by the requirement for multiple daily administrations, whereas doxazosin, a structurally similar α1-adrenergic antagonist, requires only once-daily dosing. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that doxazosin, like prazosin, would decrease alcohol drinking in rats selectively bred for alcohol preference (P line). Adult male P rats were given 2h/d scheduled access to a 2-bottle choice (15% v/v alcohol vs. water) session 5d/wk (M-F), with food and water available ad libitum 24h/d. Rats were injected with doxazosin (0 to 10mg/kg, IP) 40minutes prior to initiation of the alcohol access session in 3 trials (of 3, 5, and 5 consecutive days) each separated by 5 to 8weeks. The third trial included 1day without alcohol access (for locomotor testing), and 1day of a single hour of alcohol access (for plasma alcohol determination). Doxazosin significantly reduced alcohol intake in all 3 trials. The 5mg/kg dose consistently reduced alcohol intake, increased water drinking, did not affect locomotor activity, and resulted in lower plasma alcohol concentrations, suggesting that the doxazosin-induced reduction in alcohol drinking was not dependent on a motor impairment or an alteration in alcohol clearance. Doxazosin decreases voluntary alcohol consumption by male alcohol-preferring (P) rats, supporting a role for the noradrenergic system in alcohol drinking in P rats and suggesting that doxazosin could potentially be an effective once-daily pharmacotherapeutic agent for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.