Congestion Analysis of Transport Layer in a Multicell 5G DL Communication System

The fifth generation (5G) marks an important advance in mobile network capabilities. When it comes to high data rates, capacity, spectrum efficiency, and availability, 5G mobile broadband goes above and beyond what was previously possible with standard mobile broadband. The construction of 5G networks is still in the planning stages. These 5G networks will create intelligent networked communication environments by connecting people, things, data, applications, and transport networks. Mobile networks have made it possible for customers' mobile devices (such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and so on) to connect to the internet. A variety of distinct protocols will be required to take into consideration the various aspects that 5G possess. One of these is the transport protocol, which is intended to deliver extremely high data transfer rates up to 400 Gbps. The transmission control protocol (TCP) is one of the numerous protocols that are necessary for supporting 5G's many capabilities. Our work focuses on the detection and analysis, on the downlink (DL) side, of the congestion of the transport layer in single- and multicell environments. For the purpose of the analysis, the following metrics were analyzed: physical resource blocks (PRBs), user throughput, cell throughput, cell edge user throughput, and delay. The work emphasizes the activation of the TCP slow-start algorithm using file transfer protocol (FTP) model two according to 3GPP standards.

A Signal Processing Method for Assessing Ankle Torque with a Custom-Made Electronic Dynamometer in Participants Affected by Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Portable, custom-made electronic dynamometry for the foot and ankle is a promising assessment method that enables foot and ankle muscle function to be established in healthy participants and those affected by chronic conditions. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) can alter foot and ankle muscle function. This study assessed ankle toque in participants with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and healthy participants, with the aim of developing an algorithm for optimizing the precision of data processing and interpretation of the results and to define a reference frame for ankle torque measurement in both healthy participants and those affected by DPN. This paper discloses the software chain and the signal processing methods used for voltage-torque conversion, filtering, offset detection and the muscle effort type identification, which further allowed for a primary statistical report. The full description of the signal processing methods will make our research reproducible. The applied algorithm for signal processing is proposed as a reference frame for ankle torque assessment when using a custom-made electronic dynamometer. While evaluating multiple measurements, our algorithm permits for a more detailed parametrization of the ankle torque results in healthy participants and those affected by DPN.

A Custom-Made Electronic Dynamometer for Evaluation of Peak Ankle Torque after COVID-19

The negative effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the musculoskeletal system include symptoms of fatigue and sarcopenia. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on foot muscle strength and evaluate the reproducibility of peak ankle torque measurements in time by using a custom-made electronic dynamometer. In this observational cohort study, we compare two groups of four participants, one exposed to COVID-19 throughout measurements and one unexposed. Peak ankle torque was measured using a portable custom-made electronic dynamometer. Ankle plantar flexor and dorsiflexor muscle strength was captured for both feet at different ankle angles prior and post COVID-19. Average peak torque demonstrated no significant statistical differences between initial and final moment for both groups (p = 0.945). An increase of 4.8%, p = 0.746 was obtained in the group with COVID-19 and a decrease of 1.3%, p = 0.953 was obtained in the group without COVID-19. Multivariate analysis demonstrated no significant differences between the two groups (p = 0.797). There was a very good test−retest reproducibility between the measurements in initial and final moments (ICC = 0.78, p < 0.001). In conclusion, peak torque variability is similar in both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups and the custom-made electronic dynamometer is a reproducible method for repetitive ankle peak torque measurements.

Dynamic Spectrum Sharing for Future LTE-NR Networks

5G is the next mobile generation, already being deployed in some countries. It is expected to revolutionize our society, having extremely high target requirements. The use of spectrum is, therefore, tremendously important, as it is a limited and expensive resource. A solution for the spectrum efficiency consists of the use of dynamic spectrum sharing, where an operator can share the spectrum between two different technologies. In this paper, we studied the concept of dynamic spectrum sharing between LTE and 5G New Radio. We presented a solution that allows operators to offer both LTE and New Radio services using the same frequency bands, although in an interleaved mode. We evaluated the performance, in terms of throughput, of a communication system using the dynamic spectrum sharing feature. The results obtained led to the conclusion that using the dynamic spectrum sharing comes with a compromise of a maximum 25% loss on throughput. Nevertheless, the decrease is not that substantial, as the mobile network operator does not need to buy an additional 15 MHz of bandwidth, using the already existing bandwidth of LTE to offer 5G services, leading to cost reduction and an increase in spectrum efficiency.

Laser and LIDAR in a System for Visibility Distance Estimation in Fog Conditions

Visibility is a critical factor for transportation, even if we refer to air, water, or ground transportation. The biggest trend in the automotive industry is autonomous driving, the number of autonomous vehicles will increase exponentially, prompting changes in the industry and user segment. Unfortunately, these vehicles still have some drawbacks and one, always in attention and topical, will be treated in this paper-visibility distance issue in bad weather conditions, particularly in fog. The way and the speed with which vehicles will determine objects, obstacles, pedestrians, or traffic signs, especially in bad visibility, will determine how the vehicle will behave. In this paper, a new experimental set up is featured, for analyzing the effect of the fog when the laser and LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) radiation are used in visibility distance estimation on public roads. While using our experimental set up, in the laboratory, the information offered by these measurement systems (laser and LIDAR) are evaluated and compared with results offered by human observers in the same fog conditions. The goal is to validate and unitarily apply the results regarding visibility distance, based on information arrives from different systems that are able to estimate this parameter (in foggy weather conditions). Finally, will be notifying the drivers in case of unexpected situations. It is a combination of stationary and of moving systems. The stationary system will be installed on highways or express roads in areas prone to fog, while the moving systems are, or can be, directly installed on the vehicles (autonomous but also non-autonomous).