Search Results (49)

With the increasing frequency and severity of disasters and accidents, there is a growing need for efficient emergency alert systems. The ultra-high definition (UHD) broadcasting service based on Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0, a leading terrestrial digital broadcasting system, offers such capabilities, including a wake-up function for minimizing damage through early alerts. In case of a disaster situation, the emergency alert wake-up signal is transmitted, allowing UHD TVs to be activated, enabling individuals to receive emergency alerts and access emergency broadcasting content. However, conventional methods for detecting the bootstrap signal, essential for this function, typically require an ATSC 3.0 demodulator. In this paper, we propose a novel deep learning-based method capable of detecting an emergency wake-up signal without the need for an ATSC 3.0. The proposed method leverages deep learning techniques, specifically a deep neural network (DNN) structure for bootstrap detection and a convolutional neural network (CNN) structure for wake-up signal demodulation and to detect the bootstrap and 2 bit emergency alert wake-up signal. Specifically, our method eliminates the need for Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), frequency synchronization, and interleaving processes typically required by a demodulator. By applying a deep learning in the time domain, we simplify the detection process, allowing for the detection of an emergency alert signal without the full suite of demodulator components required for ATSC 3.0. Furthermore, we have verified the performance of the deep learning-based method using ATSC 3.0-based RF signals and a commercial Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platform in a real environment. Full article

The electric solar wind sail, or E-sail, is a propellantless interplanetary propulsion system concept. By deflecting solar wind particles off their original course, it can generate a propulsive effect with nothing more than an electric charge. The high-voltage charge is applied to one or multiple centrifugally deployed hair-thin tethers, around which an electrostatic sheath is created. Electron emitters are required to compensate for the electron current gathered by the tether. The electric sail can also be utilised in low Earth orbit, or LEO, when passing through the ionosphere, where it serves as a plasma brake for deorbiting—several missions have been dedicated to LEO demonstration. In this article, we propose the ESTCube-LuNa mission concept and the preliminary cubesat design to be launched into the Moon’s orbit, where the solar wind is uninterrupted, except for the lunar wake and when the Moon is in the Earth’s magnetosphere. This article introduces E-sail demonstration experiments and the preliminary payload design, along with E-sail thrust validation and environment characterisation methods, a cis-lunar cubesat platform solution and an early concept of operations. The proposed lunar nanospacecraft concept is designed without a deep space network, typically used for lunar and deep space operations. Instead, radio telescopes are being repurposed for communications and radio frequency ranging, and celestial optical navigation is developed for on-board orbit determination. Full article

Cells are continually exposed to a range of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), including those from the Schumann resonance to radio waves. The effects of EMFs on cells are diverse and vary based on the specific EMF type. Recent research suggests potential therapeutic applications of EMFs for various diseases. In this study, we explored the impact of a physiologically patterned EMF, inspired by the H3 receptor associated with wakefulness, on PC-12 cells in vitro. Our hypothesis posited that the application of this EMF to differentiated PC-12 cells could enhance firing patterns at specific frequencies. Cell electrophysiology was assessed using a novel device, allowing the computation of spectral power density (SPD) scores for frequencies between 1 Hz and 128 Hz. T-tests comparing SPD at certain frequencies (e.g., 29 Hz, 30 Hz, and 79 Hz) between the H3-EMF and control groups showed a significantly higher SPD in the H3 group (p < 0.050). Moreover, at 7.8 Hz and 71 Hz, a significant correlation was observed between predicted and percentages of cells with neurites (R = 0.542). Key findings indicate the efficacy of the new electrophysiology measure for assessing PC-12 cell activity, a significant increase in cellular activity with the H3-receptor-inspired EMF at specific frequencies, and the influence of 7.8 Hz and 71 Hz frequencies on neurite growth. The overall findings support the idea that the electrical frequency profiles of developing cell systems can serve as an indicator of their progression and eventual cellular outcomes. Full article

The industrial Internet of things (IIoT) is a major lever in Industry 4.0 development, where reducing the carbon footprint and energy consumption has become crucial for modern companies. Today’s IIoT device infrastructure wastes large amounts of energy on wireless communication, limiting device lifetime and increasing power consumption and battery requirements. Communication capabilities seriously affect the responsiveness and availability of autonomous IoT devices when collecting data and retrieving commands to/from higher-level applications. Thus, the objective of optimizing communication remains paramount; in addition to typical optimization methods, such as algorithms and protocols, a new concept is emerging, known as wake-up radio (WuR). WuR provides novel on-demand radio communication schemes that can increase device efficiency. By expanding the lifespan of IoT devices while maintaining high reactivity and communication performance, the WuR approach paves the way for a “place-and-forget” IoT device deployment methodology that combines a small carbon footprint with an extended lifetime and highly responsive functionality. WuR technology, when applied to IoT devices, facilitates green IIoT, thereby enabling the emergence of a novel on-demand IoT (OD-IoT) concept. This article presents an analysis of the state-of-the-art WuR technology within the green IoT paradigm and details the OD-IoT concept. Furthermore, this review provides an overview of WuR applications and their impact on the IIoT, including relevant industry use cases. Finally, we describe our experimental performance evaluation of a WuR-enabled device that is commercially available off the shelf. Specifically, we focused on the communication range and energy consumption, successfully demonstrating the applicability of WuR and the strong potential that it has and the benefits that it offers for sustainable IIoT systems. Full article

Melatonin, an endogenous neurohormone produced by the pineal gland, has received increased interest due to its potential anti-cancer properties. Apart from its well-known role in the sleep–wake cycle, extensive scientific evidence has shown its role in various physiological and pathological processes, such as inflammation. Additionally, melatonin has demonstrated promising potential as an anti-cancer agent as its function includes inhibition of tumorigenesis, induction of apoptosis, and regulation of anti-tumor immune response. Although a precise pathophysiological mechanism is yet to be established, several pathways related to the regulation of cell cycle progression, DNA repair mechanisms, and antioxidant activity have been implicated in the anti-neoplastic potential of melatonin. In the current manuscript, we focus on the potential anti-cancer properties of melatonin and its use in treating and managing pediatric osteosarcoma. This aggressive bone tumor primarily affects children and adolescents and is treated mainly by surgical and radio-oncological interventions, which has improved survival rates among affected individuals. Significant disadvantages to these interventions include disease recurrence, therapy-related toxicity, and severe/debilitating side effects that the patients have to endure, significantly affecting their quality of life. Melatonin has therapeutic effects when used for treating osteosarcoma, attributed to its ability to halt cancer cell proliferation and trigger apoptotic cell death, thereby enhancing chemotherapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, the antioxidative function of melatonin alleviates harmful side effects of chemotherapy-induced oxidative damage, aiding in decreasing therapeutic toxicities. The review concisely explains the many mechanisms by which melatonin targets osteosarcoma, as evidenced by significant results from several in vitro and animal models. Nevertheless, if further explored, human trials remain a challenge that could shed light and support its utility as an adjunctive therapeutic modality for treating osteosarcoma. Full article

Wake-up radio is a promising solution to reduce the energy wasted by mobile devices during an idle state. In this paper, we propose a new wake-up radio solution for 5G mobile devices based on a super-regenerative receiver characterized by its low cost and low power consumption and investigate how to build on the orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation capability at the base station to generate optimal wake-up signals. After presenting the relevant features and limitations of super-regenerative receivers operating in different 5G New Radio (NR) frequency bands, we evaluate how the numerology, the number of resource blocks, and the quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) scheme used affect the sensitivity of the super-regenerative wake-up receiver. The results show that a 256-QAM modulation scheme, together with the highest numerology values, achieves optimal receiver sensitivity with a minimal number of resource blocks, yielding higher duty cycle pulses that also facilitate symbol synchronization tasks. Full article

Following the recent deployment of fifth-generation (5G) radio frequencies, several questions about their health impacts have been raised. Due to the lack of experimental research on this subject, the current study aimed to investigate the bio-physiological effects of a generated 3.5 GHz frequency. For this purpose, the wake electroencephalograms (EEG) of 34 healthy volunteers were explored during two “real” and “sham” exposure sessions. The electromagnetic fields were antenna-emitted in an electrically shielded room and had an electrical field root-mean-square intensity of 2 V/m, corresponding to the current outdoor exposure levels. The sessions were a maximum of one week apart, and both contained an exposure period of approximately 26 min and were followed by a post-exposure period of 17 min. The power spectral densities (PSDs) of the beta, alpha, theta, and delta bands were then computed and corrected based on an EEG baseline period. This was acquired for 17 min before the subsequent phases were recorded under two separate conditions: eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). A statistical analysis showed an overall non-significant change in the studied brain waves, except for a few electrodes in the alpha, theta, and delta spectra. This change was translated into an increase or decrease in the PSDs, in response to the EO and EC conditions. In conclusion, this studhy showed that 3.5 GHz exposure, within the regulatory levels and exposure parameters used in this protocol, did not affect brain activity in healthy young adults. Moreover, to our knowledge, this was the first laboratory-controlled human EEG study on 5G effects. It attempted to address society’s current concern about the impact of 5G exposure on human health at environmental levels. Full article

Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a viable solution for data collection from remote Internet of Things (IoT) applications. However, the successful implementation in this regard necessitates the development of a reliable and energy-efficient routing protocol. This paper proposes a reliable and an energy-efficient UAV-assisted clustering hierarchical (EEUCH) protocol designed for remote wireless sensor networks (WSNs) based IoT applications. The proposed EEUCH routing protocol facilitates UAVs to collect data from ground sensor nodes (SNs) that are equipped with wake-up radios (WuRs) and deployed remotely from the base station (BS) in the field of interest (FoI). During each round of the EEUCH protocol, the UAVs arrive at the predefined hovering positions at the FoI, perform clear channel assignment, and broadcast wake-up calls (WuCs) to the SNs. Upon receiving the WuCs by the SNs’ wake-up receivers, the SNs perform carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance before sending joining requests to ensure reliability and cluster-memberships with the particular UAV whose WuC is received. The cluster-member SNs turn on their main radios (MRs) for data packet transmission. The UAV assigns time division multiple access (TDMA) slots to each of its cluster-member SNs whose joining request is received. Each SN must send the data packets in its assigned TDMA slot. When data packets are successfully received by the UAV, it sends acknowledgments to the SNs, after which the SNs turn off their MRs, completing a single round of the protocol. The proposed EEUCH routing protocol with WuR eliminates the issue of cluster overlapping, improves the overall performance, and increases network stability time by a factor of 8.7. It also improves energy efficiency by a factor of 12.55, resulting in a longer network lifespan compared to Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) protocol. Moreover, EEUCH collects 5.05 times more data from the FoI than LEACH. These results are based on simulations in which the EEUCH protocol outperformed the existing six benchmark routing protocols proposed for homogeneous, two-tier, and three-tier heterogeneous WSNs. Full article

Low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies have gained popularity in accordance with the explosive growth of the Internet of Things (IoT). Among others, LoRa is considered as the leading standard that can meet the needs of modern wireless networking, mainly offering energy efficiency and broad coverage as well as a massive amount of device support. In addition to the ALOHA protocol, which is the default channel access mechanism used by the standard, a number of alternatives have been proposed in the literature in an effort to ameliorate the overall network performance. Furthermore, with moving nodes gaining ground more and more in the IoT realm and the research being at a relatively premature stage, it is imperative to create innovative algorithms that support highly dense networks with fast moving nodes. Motivated by these reasons, this work proposes a novel medium access protocol that takes advantage of the increased capabilities of modern wake up radio (WuR) technology in order to achieve low latency and mitigate the risk of lost packets in IoT networks with moving nodes based on the LoRa technology. A number of simulation scenarios have been devised and the findings suggest that the proposed protocol achieves the set goals and improves existing solutions. Full article

Wireless sensor network (WSN) with energy-saving capabilities have drawn considerable attention in recent years, as they are the key for long-term monitoring and embedded applications. To improve the power efficiency of wireless sensor nodes, a wake-up technology was introduced in the research community. Such a device reduces the system’s energy consumption without affecting the latency. Thereby, the introduction of wake-up receiver (WuRx)-based technology has grown in several sectors. The use of WuRx in a real environment without consideration of physical environmental conditions, such as the reflection, refraction, and diffraction caused by different materials, that affect the reliability of the whole network. Indeed, the simulation of different protocols and scenarios under such circumstances is a success key for a reliable WSN. Simulating different scenarios is required to evaluate the proposed architecture before its deployment in a real-world environment. The contribution of this study emerges in the modeling of different link quality metrics, both hardware and software metrics that will be integrated into an objective modular network testbed in C++ (OMNeT++) discrete event simulator afterward are discussed, with the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) for the hardware metric case and the packet error rate (PER) for the software metric study case using WuRx based on a wake-up matcher and SPIRIT1 transceiver. The different behaviors of the two chips are modeled using machine learning (ML) regression to define parameters such as sensitivity and transition interval for the PER for both radio modules. The generated module was able to detect the variation in the PER distribution as a response in the real experiment output by implementing different analytical functions in the simulator. Full article

As the battery-operated power source of wireless sensor networks, energy consumption is a major concern. The medium-access protocol design solves the energy usage of sensor nodes while transmitting and receiving data, thereby improving the sensor network’s lifetime. The suggested work employs a hybrid algorithm to improve the energy efficiency of sensor networks with nodes that are regularly placed. Every node in this protocol has three operating modes, which are sleep mode, receive mode, and send mode. Every node enters a periodic sleep state in order to conserve energy, and after waking up, it waits for communication. During the sleep mode, the nodes turn off their radios in order to reduce the amount of energy they consume while not in use. As an added feature, this article offers a channel access mechanism in which the sensors can send data based on the Logical Link Decision (LLD) algorithm and receive data based on the adaptive reception method. It is meant to select acceptable intermediary nodes in order to identify the path from the source to the destination and to minimize data transmission delays among the nodes in the network scenario. Aside from that, both simulation and analytical findings are used to examine the activity of the suggested MAC, and the created models are evaluated depending on their performance. With regard to energy consumption, latency, throughput, and power efficiency, the result demonstrates that the suggested MAC protocol outperforms the corresponding set of rules. The extensive simulation and analytical analysis showed that the energy consumption of the proposed LELLMAC protocol is reduced by 22% and 76.9% the end-to-end latency is 84.7% and 87.4% percent shorter, and the throughput is 60.3% and 70.5% higher than the existing techniques when the number of node is 10 and 100 respectively. Full article

The integration of wireless communication, e.g., in real- or quasi-real-time applications, is related to many challenges such as energy consumption, communication range, quality of service, and reliability. The improvement of wireless sensor networks (WSN) performance starts by enhancing the capabilities of each sensor node. To minimize latencies without increasing energy consumption, wake-up receiver (WuRx) nodes have been introduced in recent works since they can be always-on or power-gated with short latencies by a power consumption in the range of some microwatts. Compared to standard receiver technologies, they are usually characterized by drawbacks in terms of sensitivity. To overcome the limitation of the sensitivity of WuRxs, a design of a low noise amplifier (LNA) with several design specifications is required. The challenging task of the LNA design is to provide equitable trade-off performances such as gain, power consumption, the noise figure, stability, linearity, and impedance matching. The design of fast settling LNA for a duty-cycled WuRx front-end operating at a 868 MHz frequency band is investigated in this work. The paper details the trade-offs between design challenges and illustrates practical considerations for the simulation and implementation of a radio frequency (RF) circuit. The implemented LNA competes with many commercialized designs where it reaches single-stage 12 dB gain at a 1.8 V voltage supply and consumes only a 1.6 mA current. The obtained results could be made tunable by working with off-the-shelf components for different wake-up based application exigencies. Full article

As part of my practice-based research, I host a monthly radio show based on the principle of ‘waking sleep’, resulting in a largely silent experiment in dispersed communion with an audience. Silence—though frowned upon in standard broadcasting—has long been a feature of artworks from Marina Abramović (1973–present), to John Cage’s 4′33 (1952), to Gillian Wearing’s Sixty MinutesSilence (1996). The power of collective silence is harnessed by many doctrines: in Quaker meetings for worship, in the practice of Zen Buddhism, and in the Memorial observance of a minute’s silence. The practice of ‘waking sleep’ was coined by Ned Hallowell M.D. as a means of refreshing the brain and combatting the effects of ADHD. It is simply the act of letting the mind wander, without feeding it the next dopamine hit from a stimulant like a conversation or screen-scroll. Holding My Nerve is a radio show, and an ongoing autotheoretical artwork. It is part-field recording, part-endurance performance, and tracks my research process as it evolves. Using transcripts of the show, diaristic writing, and reflections on art history and my past works, this article explores the often-fraught relationships between autotheory, visual art, neurodivergence, and practice-based research. Full article

The Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is one of the most promising solutions for the supervision of multiple phenomena and for the digitisation of the Internet of Things (IoT). The Wake-up Receiver (WuRx) is one of the most trivial and effective solutions for energy-constrained networks. This technology allows energy-autonomous on-demand communication for continuous monitoring instead of the conventional radio. The routing process is one of the most energy and time-consuming processes in WSNs. It is, hence, crucial to conceive an energy-efficient routing process. In this paper, we propose a novel Wake-up Receiver-based routing protocol called Clustered WuRx based on Multicast wake-up (CWM), which ensures energy optimisation and time-efficiency at the same time for indoor scenarios. In our proposed approach, the network is divided into clusters. Each Fog Node maintains the routes from each node in its cluster to it. When a sink requires information from a given node, it’s corresponding Fog Node uses a multicast wake-up mechanism to wake up the intended node and all the intermediate nodes that will be used in the routing process simultaneously. Measurement results demonstrate that our proposed approach exhibits higher energy efficiency and has drastic performance improvements in the delivery delay compared with other routing protocols. Full article

IEEE 802.11 consists of one of the most used wireless access technologies, which can be found in almost all consumer electronics devices available. Recently, Wake-up Radio (WuR) systems have emerged as a solution for energy-efficient communications. WuR mechanisms rely on using a secondary low-power radio interface that is always in the active operation mode and is in charge of switching the primary interface, used for main data exchange, from the power-saving state to the active mode. In this paper, we present a WuR solution based on IEEE 802.11 technology employing transmissions of legacy frames by an IEEE 802.11 standard-compliant transmitter during a Transmission Opportunity (TXOP) period. Unlike other proposals available in the literature, the WuR system presented in this paper exploits the PHY characteristics of modern IEEE 802.11 radios, where different signal bandwidths can be used on a per-packet basis. The proposal is validated through the Matlab software tool, and extensive simulation results are presented in a wide variety of scenario configurations. Moreover, insights are provided on the feasibility of the WuR proposal for its implementation in real hardware. Our approach allows the transmission of complex Wake-up Radio signals (i.e., including address field and other binary data) from legacy Wi-Fi devices (from IEEE 802.11n-2009 on), avoiding hardware or even firmware modifications intended to alter standard MAC/PHY behavior, and achieving a bit rate of up to 33 kbps. Full article