Control Nodes Research Articles

Analyzing real-time communication: Arduino-based Controller Area Network (CAN) in electric vehicle

The increasing complexity of electric vehicles (EVs) and the growing demand for propulsion and driver assistance have strengthened the need for CAN networks. This necessitates a detailed analysis of communication and CAN bus utilization. A low bus load does not guarantee a valid design if response times are insufficient. This paper presents a response time analysis (RTA) of a distributed real-time control system that uses an Arduino-based CAN network and an MCP2515 interface to check if the system can be scheduled. The RTA is based on calculating the worst-case response time of the message (WCRT), which is its longest response time. The prototype EV houses a system consisting of four (4) real-time embedded CAN nodes. We have implemented a PID controller within the motor speed control node. Based on existing literature, we proposed an algorithm to calculate the WCRT of the control system messages and another to address the priority inversion issue in network communication. The experimental results for the PID controller are satisfactory. The controller reaches the target speed with minimal oscillations with values 478ms, 31.81s, 0.62%, and 2.57%, corresponding to time rise, settling time, steady-state error, and overshoot at 90 rpm, demonstrating its robust performance. Experimental results confirm the scheduling analysis of the system with a low bus load (0.9% at 500 kbps). The tests conducted on the experimental and SAE benchmark data show that validity depends on message schedulability, bus load, and bandwidth. A system may be schedulable at 500 kbps but not at 125 kbps with the same traffic.

Defining Optimal Nodal Dose for Stage IIIC Cervical Cancer: An Institutional Audit of Patients Treated with Simultaneous Integrated Nodal Boost

ObjectiveTo assess radiation dose-response relationship for individual lymph nodes in patients with stage IIIC cervical cancer who are treated with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB).MethodsThis is a retrospective study in which patients with stage IIIC cervical cancer treated with (chemo)radiation who received simultaneous integrated nodal boost (SIB) and brachytherapy were evaluated with the primary aim of determining in-field nodal control. Secondary aims included estimation of local control (LC), disease free survival (DFS) and adverse events. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis was performed for factors impacting nodal control, LC and DFS.ResultsOne hundred and fifty-one (151) nodes in 65 patients were included. The median number of lymph nodes and nodal volume was 2 (1–6) and 3.4 cc (1.8–6.8 cc) respectively. Median SIB dose was 55Gy/25# (53.7–55.0 Gy). At a median follow-up of 43 months the in-field nodal control was 99.3% (1/151). The 5-year LC, DFS and regional nodal control was 88.7, 66 and 85.6% respectively. The 5-year DFS for FIGO stage IIIC1 was 67.7% versus 43.5% for stage IIIC2 (p = 0.03) and lymph node volume >3cc was associated with reduced 5-year DFS (80.8% vs. 55%, p = 0.03) on univariate analysis. No factor was statistically significant on multivariate analysis. A vast majority of lymph node recurrences were observed in elective nodal regions outside the true pelvis that received lower contribution from brachytherapy.ConclusionNodal SIB doses of up to 55Gy/25#/ 5 weeks administered during chemoradiation are associated with 99.3% 5-year infield nodal control. A vast majority of nodal recurrences were observed in elective volumes that received a lower contribution from brachytherapy.

Multidrug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: genetic control mechanisms and therapeutic advances.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant opportunistic pathogen, and its complex mechanisms of antibiotic resistance pose a challenge to modern medicine. This literature review explores the advancements made from 1979 to 2024 in understanding the regulatory networks of antibiotic resistance genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with a particular focus on the molecular underpinnings of these resistance mechanisms. The review highlights four main pathways involved in drug resistance: reducing outer membrane permeability, enhancing active efflux systems, producing antibiotic-inactivating enzymes, and forming biofilms. These pathways are intricately regulated by a combination of genetic regulation, transcriptional regulators, two-component signal transduction, DNA methylation, and small RNA molecules. Through an in-depth analysis and synthesis of existing literature, we identify key regulatory elements mexT, ampR, and argR as potential targets for novel antimicrobial strategies. A profound understanding of the core control nodes of drug resistance offers a new perspective for therapeutic intervention, suggesting that modulating these elements could potentially reverse resistance and restore bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics. The review looks forward to future research directions, proposing the use of gene editing and systems biology to further understand resistance mechanisms and to develop effective antimicrobial strategies against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This review is expected to provide innovative solutions to the problem of drug resistance in infectious diseases.

“We Were the Army in the Shadows”: The Dynamics of Military Rule and Experiences of Black Women in the South African Defence Force 32 Battalion Military Community

Abstract In this article, we demystify the South African Defence Force’s 32 Battalion and de-exceptionalize the apartheid military by connecting it to other colonial military communities, and apartheid governance more broadly. Drawing on oral history, autoethnography, and archival documents, we demonstrate the highly unequal, yet mutual, reliance of white authorities and elite Black women in the haphazard and improvised nature of apartheid military rule. Most women arrived at the unit's base, Buffalo, as Angolan refugees, where white military authorities fixated on their domestic and family lives. We examine the practical workings of military rule by considering three nodes of social surveillance and control. Elite Black women, known as “block leaders,” served as intermediaries, actively participating in the mechanics of military rule while also using their position to advocate for their community. Finally, we consider the ingrained violent patriarchal nature of life in the community by highlighting the nature of women's precariousness and labor.

Optimizing random forests to detect intrusion in the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) has created new security challenges by connecting billions of smart devices to each other. One of these challenges is detecting attacks in IoT networks. Traditional attack detection methods are usually not suitable for large and complex networks such as IoT networks. In this research, a new model for detecting intrusion in IoT networks using Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is introduced. The main goal of the current research was to improve the stability of IoT networks against various attacks using an optimized machine learning model in a distributed manner. The presented approach uses the advantages of SDN, such as flexibility and centralized control, to improve intrusion detection performance. The proposed method includes two phases: first, the topology of the network is divided into a set of subdomains, and a controller node is assigned to each subdomain. Then, in the second phase, an ensemble classification model based on a random forest is utilized for detecting intrusion in each subdomain. This learning model is a forest of classification and regression trees (CARTs), each component of which is optimized by genetic algorithm (GA). Controller nodes can use this classification model to identify intrusion independently or cooperatively. The main novelty of the current work lies in optimizing multiple learning models and cooperatively utilizing them for intrusion detection goals. In an experimental environment based on MATLAB software, the effectiveness of this model for detecting intrusions on two databases, NSW-NB15 and NSLKDD, was evaluated. The findings of the experiments showed that this model can identify the attacks in these two databases with 98.06 % and 99.67 % accuracy respectively, which is significantly higher than the compared models.

A novel controllability method on temporal networks based on tree model

Temporal networks have become instrumental in modeling dynamic systems across various disciplines, presenting unique challenges and opportunities in understanding and influencing their behavior. Controllability, a fundamental aspect of network dynamics, plays a pivotal role in manipulating these systems towards desired states. In this paper, we embark on a comprehensive exploration of controllability within the realm of temporal networks. A new method for controlling temporal networks is proposed, in which the intervention of all the dynamics of temporal networks can provide the possibility to speed up the network controllability processes. In the proposed method, the network dynamics are stored in the tree data structure to reduce the computational complexity of the algorithm for finding control nodes while maintaining essential information in controllable processes. Results show that the proposed algorithm with linear complexity of O(N2logNΔt4)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\varvec{O}}({{\\varvec{N}}}^{2}{\\varvec{l}}{\\varvec{o}}{\\varvec{g}}{\\varvec{N}}{\\Delta {\\varvec{t}}}^{4})$$\\end{document}. Evaluation against conventional methods on experimental datasets reveals notable improvements: a 41.8% reduction in the minimum number of control nodes, a 36.37% decrease in time of receiving fully control network, and a 38.5% reduction in control algorithm execution time compared to layered model-based control methods.

Mitochondrial pyruvate transport regulates presynaptic metabolism and neurotransmission.

Glucose has long been considered the primary fuel source for the brain. However, glucose levels fluctuate in the brain during sleep or circuit activity, posing major metabolic stress. Here, we demonstrate that the mammalian brain uses pyruvate as a fuel source, and pyruvate can support neuronal viability in the absence of glucose. Nerve terminals are sites of metabolic vulnerability, and we show that mitochondrial pyruvate uptake is a critical step in oxidative ATP production in hippocampal terminals. We find that the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier is post-translationally modified by lysine acetylation, which, in turn, modulates mitochondrial pyruvate uptake. Our data reveal that the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier regulates distinct steps in neurotransmission, namely, the spatiotemporal pattern of synaptic vesicle release and the efficiency of vesicle retrieval-functions that have profound implications for synaptic plasticity. In summary, we identify pyruvate as a potent neuronal fuel and mitochondrial pyruvate uptake as a critical node for the metabolic control of neurotransmission in hippocampal terminals.

Shifting priorities and expectations in the new world of work. Insights from millennials and generation Z

In the contemporary world of work and modern business, the well-being of a company is directly linked with the well-being of its employees, and in this context, the proactive promotion of work-life balance has become more important than ever because it meets the new ideal and is an ongoing challenge through the lens of the younger generation’s age groups. By unpacking worklife balance into five drivers, the present paper aims to explore the recent trends, priorities, and expectations of the modern workforce. The target population was represented by two generations of employees, Millennials and Generation Z, and the research hypotheses were tested using structural equation in SmartPLS. The results of this research aim to enhance the current knowledge base, offering a distinct perspective along with significant findings for employers, managers, recruiters, policymakers, and other nodes of control who can gain insights regarding work-related priorities and expectations.

Investigation of the Durability of the Regulating Junction of the Christmas Tree Throttle

Objective: In the research work, the issue of ensuring the stability of its details wasconsidered by studying the voltage distribution mode in the throttle control node. SolidWorks software was used to perform force analysis of the improved throttle. Theoretical Framework: The research draws upon theories and simulations related to regulatory constructions and wear prevention. Methodology: In the research work, the performance criteria of the improved throttle have been studied. The force analysis of the proposed throttle's regulating node was carried out using modern methods and Solidworks simulations. Results and Discussion: The analysis of the wear occurring at the tip of the improved throttle shows that the wear resistance of this equipment is ensured, and the wear of the saddle-cutter pair, which has a hardness of HRC=55-66, amounts to 0.040...0.050 mm after 500 forward-backward cycles intended for the throttle. This is also twice smaller than the allowable limit. The processing of the conducted force analyses has proven that the performance of the improved throttle is ensured. Research Implications: The structural force analysis of the improved throttle shows that its performance is ensured. An analytical expression has been obtained to determine the maximum value of the radial stresses occurring at the tip of the throttle. It has been found that the safety factor for bending stress in the central zone of the throttle tip is equal to 2.5. Originality/Value: Based on simulations and analytical calculations, the radial stresses generated at the tip of the nozzle were investigated, and the longevity of the improved nozzle was enhanced based on new approaches.

The Prognostic Importance of Radiologic Extranodal Extension in Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Extranodal extension (ENE) had been included in the latest cancer staging system in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HypoSCC). However, the impact of ENE on HypoSCC survival and treatment outcomes are still unclear. Records from all HypoSCC patients diagnosed at the National Taiwan University Hospital from January 2007 to December 2018 were reviewed. All patients were divided into two groups, with or without ENE. Clinical features, pathological factors, and survival rates between the two groups were reviewed. We analyzed data from 388 HypoSCC patients, 125 (32.22%) with and 263 (67.78%) without ENE. The 5-year overall survival of the HypoSCC patients with radiological ENE, pathological ENE, and without ENE were 22.9%, 40.3%, and 55.5%. From the multivariate analysis, primary T3/T4 classification (p = 0.001) and radiological ENE (p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for disease-free and overall survival (OS). Finally, upfront neck dissection may significantly benefit disease-free survival (DFS) and neck nodal control in ENE+ (p = 0.002 and p = 0.007, respectively) or ENE- patients (p = 0.003 and p = 0.02, respectively). More than one-third of HypoSCC patients have ENE, with significantly lower OS and DFS. The upfront neck dissection could provide better DFS and neck nodal control.

A hypothalamic node for the cyclical control of female sexual rejection.

Internal state-dependent behavioral flexibility, such as the ability to switch between rejecting and accepting sexual advances based on a female's reproductive capacity, is crucial for maintaining meaningful social interactions. While the role of the ventrolateral ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) in sexual acceptance is well established, the neural mechanisms underlying sexual rejection remain unexplored. In this study, we identify progesterone receptor-expressing neurons in the anterior VMHvl (aVMHvlPR+) as key regulators of cyclical female sexual rejection behavior. Invivo recordings reveal that these neurons are active during sexual rejection but inactive during sexual acceptance. Slice electrophysiology demonstrates that aVMHvlPR+ neurons receive a reduced excitatory-to-inhibitory synaptic input balance in receptive females. Furthermore, activating and inhibiting aVMHvlPR+ neurons increases rejection in receptive females and reduces rejection in non-receptive females, respectively. Thus, aVMHvlPR+ neurons constitute a critical neural substrate controlling female sexual behavior, providing an additional barrier to mating when fertilization is not possible.

Unsteady Secondary Flow Structure at a Large River Confluence

AbstractRiver confluences, which are characterized by complex hydrodynamics, are key nodes for flood control and environmental protection. Two field surveys were carried out at the confluence of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake to investigate the transient character of flow structures, which are often assumed steady. Repeat‐transect acoustic Doppler current profile measurements were processed and analyzed, adopting a new method to separate mean flow from turbulence and measurement error based on physics‐informed generalized Tikhonov regularization. The two field surveys were characterized by two distinct mixing interface modes: A so‐called Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) mode, and a wake mode. In KH mode, large‐scale flow fluctuations were observed. These flow fluctuations exert a substantial influence on the alternation of secondary flows by changing the water surface pressure gradient, affecting the intensity of secondary flows rather than their spatial structure. We infer that temperature‐induced stratification is the main cause of this. In the wake mode, multiple vortices in the wake region at the confluence apex also produced flow fluctuations, directly related to the primary velocity gradient. We argue that even for constant incoming flows, secondary flow at river confluences can exhibit channel‐scale unsteadiness related to migration of the turbulent mixing interface. Our findings highlight the crucial role of density effects in regulating secondary flow unsteadiness, which is essential for understanding contaminant and sediment dispersal in river systems.

External beam radiotherapy followed by image-guided adaptive brachytherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

To evaluate oncological outcomes and toxicities in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by image-guided adaptive brachytherapy at two Italian centres. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 122 patients with LACC treated between 2010 and 2022. Primary endpoints were local control (LC), pelvic control (PC), and nodal control (NC). Secondary endpoints included disease-free survival (DFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS), overall survival (OS), and late toxicity. Correlations between patient characteristics and oncological outcomes were conducted. Brachytherapy planning was CT and MRI-based in 88 (72.1%) and 34 patients (27.9%), respectively. The mean total dose (EQD2) delivered to high-risk clinical target volume was 82Gy. Overall treatment time was ≤ 50days and > 50days in 48 (39.3%) and 74 patients (60.7%), respectively. At a mean follow up of 101months, 3 and 5-year LC rates were 87% and 85%, respectively. Five-year PC and NC rates were 77% and 85.1%. Five-year DFS and OS were 61% and 65.4%, respectively, with significant correlations between these outcomes and FIGO stage and nodal status at diagnosis. Gastrointestinal, genitourinary and vaginal adverse effects were the most reported late toxicities and 8 (6.5%) grade 3-5 events were observed. 32 patients (26.2%) had vaginal stenosis and it was significantly related to 3D imaging used for brachytherapy planning. The study confirmed the efficacy and safety of chemoradiotherapy and IGABT for LACC. Full implementation of MRI treatment planning and interstitial techniques could further enhance personalized treatment and outcomes.

Selective collaboration in distributed FxLMS active noise control systems

This paper addresses the selection of the collaboration configuration on distributed active noise control (ANC) systems. ANC systems aim to cancel out acoustic noise within a listening area. In distributed systems, the control task is delegated among multiple acoustic control nodes that generate the control signals by filtering a noise reference signal. The coefficients of each node filter are iteratively calculated using the filtered-X LMS algorithm. The stability is achieved when the adaptive filters computed in each node converge to finite values. However, acoustic coupling among nodes could lead to instability (i.e., divergence). Collaboration among selected nodes may avoid this phenomenon, although not just any collaboration configuration guarantees network stability. On the other hand, a collaborative distributed system presents two drawbacks: the stability assessment is computationally expensive, and communication requirements increase with the number of collaborations among nodes. In this paper, we propose and discuss several methods to establish a collaboration configuration that ensures system stability. The optimal configuration, which is characterized by the minimal number of necessary collaborations between nodes, can be identified through exhaustive search. However, this approach incurs a high computational cost, particularly in networks with many nodes. To address this challenge, we introduce several heuristic methods aimed at efficiently obtaining stable configurations.

Acoustography by Beam Engineering and Acoustic Control Node: BEACON.

Acoustic manipulation has emerged as a valuable tool for precision controls and dynamic programming of cells and particles. However, conventional acoustic manipulation approaches lack the finesse necessary to form intricate, configurable, continuous, and 3D patterning of particles. Here, this study reports acoustography by Beam Engineering and Acoustic Control Node (BEACON), which delivers intricate, configurable patterns by guiding particles along custom paths with independent phase modulation. Leveraging analytical methods of orbital angular momentum beam via iterative Wirtinger hologram algorithm, this study accomplish acoustography by facilitating orbital angular momentum traps, enabling continuous 2D and 3D acoustic manipulation of microparticles in any desired geometry, with phase modulation independent of intensity. Utilizing on-chip acoustography, the BEACON platform markedly increases the space-bandwidth product to 31000 while attaining an enhanced resolution with a pixel size of ≈25µm, surpassing the typical resolution of over 200µm in previous holographic particle manipulation methods. The capabilities of BEACON are demonstrated in creating intricate triple helical tracing structures using microdroplets (20µm in diameter) and those carrying DNA to validate the effectiveness of the acoustography and phase control methods. This study offers new particle manipulation opportunities, paving the way for next-generation biomedical systems and the future of contact-free precision manufacturing.

A modular circuit coordinates the diversification of courtship strategies

Mate recognition systems evolve rapidly to reinforce the reproductive boundaries between species, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain enigmatic. Here we leveraged the rapid coevolution of female pheromone production and male pheromone perception in Drosophila1,2 to gain insight into how the architecture of mate recognition circuits facilitates their diversification. While in some Drosophila species females produce unique pheromones that act to arouse their conspecific males, the pheromones of most species are sexually monomorphic such that females possess no distinguishing chemosensory signatures that males can use for mate recognition3. We show that Drosophila yakuba males evolved the ability to use a sexually monomorphic pheromone, 7-tricosene, as an excitatory cue to promote courtship. By comparing key nodes in the pheromone circuits across multiple Drosophila species, we reveal that this sensory innovation arises from coordinated peripheral and central circuit adaptations: a distinct subpopulation of sensory neurons has acquired sensitivity to 7-tricosene and, in turn, selectively signals to a distinct subset of P1 neurons in the central brain to trigger courtship. Such a modular circuit organization, in which different sensory inputs can independently couple to parallel courtship control nodes, may facilitate the evolution of mate recognition systems by allowing novel sensory modalities to become linked to male arousal. Together, our findings suggest how peripheral and central circuit adaptations can be flexibly coordinated to underlie the rapid evolution of mate recognition strategies across species.

A novel controllability method on complex temporal networks based on temporal motifs

SummaryComplex temporal networks have become instrumental in modeling dynamic systems across various disciplines, presenting unique challenges and opportunities in understanding and influencing their behavior. Controllability, a fundamental aspect of network dynamics, plays a pivotal role in manipulating these systems towards desired states. Temporal motifs are important patterns in temporal complex networks that have many applications in solving problems related to this type of networks. In this paper, a novel method for controlling temporal complex networks using temporal motifs is proposed. First, the most important effective temporal motifs in the controllability processes of complex networks have been identified and it has been shown that the network can be fully controlled using these temporal motifs. Then, an algorithm for extracting temporal motifs is proposed. This algorithm has been proposed to identify effective temporal motifs in network controllability to optimally identify control nodes. To increase the efficiency of extracting temporal motifs, a method for predicting the temporal motif‐based link has been proposed, which predicts temporal motifs. The results of the simulation of the proposed method based on temporal motifs and its implementation on real‐world temporal complex networks demonstrates that its performance was better than the conventional controllability methods.

Minimizing Costs in Fog Nodes Through Effective Resource and Task Scheduling

Background: This system comprises the fog control node, access node, and Internet of Things (IoT) application. This study aims to reduce scheduling-related cloud costs. A user scheduling method and an economical task are carried out for this reason. The algorithm for job scheduling is constructed to determine the best strategy to handle several jobs in a fog access node. Reallocation technology ultimately reduces delays in both time and service. For analytical objectives, extensive simulations were run and performance metrics were compared with those of other currently in use methods. It was discovered that the suggested technique lowers task latency and offers extreme cost-effectiveness by improving the concurrent capability in the fog node, users, and task scheduling with improved performance statistics that made it possible. Materials and Methods: The research paper explores fog computing, a three-layered architecture consisting of IoT devices, fog computing, and cloud computing. The fog computing layer sits between cloud networks and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, providing fast access to these devices and handling computation locally at the network edge. Results: The research paper focuses on reducing cloud costs in scheduling. Although the proposed system showed many similarities in execution times compared to the diverse early completion-time method, it consistently lags behind the heterogeneous method by 5 to 10%. Conclusion: This research aims to reduce the cloud scheduling costs for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. A user-based scheduling algorithm and economical task allocation are implemented. A constraint-based and user-defined strategy is recommended.

Energy efficient and reliable data transmission in WBAN using multivariate gradient divergence African buffalo optimization

SummaryWireless body area network (WBAN), a popular radio communication technique, tracks patients' health conditions remotely using small, low‐power, portable sensors positioned on the body to sense vital signs and send data to a control node. To sustain long‐term health monitoring, WBANs require significant energy from the nodes. This research proposes an energy efficient and reliable data transmission using multivariate gradient divergence African buffalo optimization (EEMGDABO) to minimize the delay of critical node data transmission by identifying the optimal path to the control node. The protocol comprises two key processes: winsorized correlative segmented symbolic regression with reinforcement learning (WCS‐SRRL) and the walrus optimization algorithm (WaOA) for accurate priority‐based classification of health data (normal, abnormal, and critical). The second process involves transferring these priority‐based data with reduced energy consumption and delay while increasing throughput by determining the best path from the critical node to the destination (hospital/doctor) using EEMGDABO, which calculates node distance and energy fitness value. Implemented in MATLAB with a health monitoring WBAN dataset, the proposed protocol demonstrates 23% less energy consumption, 12.33% less delay, and 23.44% higher network lifetime compared to existing optimization approaches.

Controllable Weyl nodes and Fermi arcs from Floquet engineering triple fermions

Controllable Weyl nodes and Fermi arcs from Floquet engineering triple fermions