This article presents a concept of a TSN Controller NetApp to support diverse vertical applications and provide Quality of Service guarantees during their life-cycle. The NetApp is composed of a Controller entity that receives and processes requests from vertical applications with specific network performance demands, and an Agent entity which applies configurations and monitors the state of network elements. This control architecture has been extended to support wireless TSN communication on top of openwifi, supporting the flexibility required by vertical applications with mobile devices such as drones and automated guided vehicles. We describe the building blocks of the TSNC NetApp supporting wired-wireless TSN deployments and show its experimental results demonstrating the feasibility of our solution.

Abstract Background: Low-grade chronic inflammation is an important feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Aim: To determine the values of C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with different stages of CKD and to examine how they change depending on the progression of renal damage. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive comparative study included 157 subjects at different stages of CKD which was assessed based on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) calculated according to the MDRD equation. CRP was analyzed by an immunoturbidimetric method. NLR and PLR were calculated by a mathematical calculation after a blood count was performed. Results: The present study showed an increase in serum creatinine, CRP, and NLR values with progression of renal failure. There was a statistically significant difference in the creatinine and CRP concentrations between groups with different stages of CKD (p <0.001 for all comparisons). A significant positive correlation was found between NLR and CRP, while negative, significant correlations were observed between NLR and eGFR as well as between PLR and eGFR. There was a slight increase in PLR value with the progression of renal impairment, but the correlation between PLR and CRP was not significant. Conclusion: These results suggest that NLR, together with CRP, may serve as an indicator of systemic low-grade inflammation progression in patients with CKD. Larger prospective studies are required to observe the possibility of using NLR as a surrogate marker for CRP in patients with CKD.

We investigate how an IRS (Intelligent Reflective Surface) deployment within a terahertz (THz) band communication system, can detect and classify indoor vapour clouds expelled in violent expiratory events, such as coughing. This detection is of interest for public health systems. Since indoor spaces are sites for deployment of wireless communication infrastructure in any case, combined sensing and communication is an attractive solution. Using 6G networks to accomplish this while not affecting communication performance, is a relevant and useful application of THz signal’s properties. We use machine learning to distinguish between violent expiratory events and other aerosol emissions.

Simple Summary The tumor microenvironment (TME) is defined as the environment surrounding a tumor. There is a close, dynamic relation and interaction between the tumor and its neighboring microenvironment. There are some particularities of the thymus itself and of the TME of thymic epithelial tumors that hinder the routine use of targeted therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors. The understanding of the unique characteristics of the TME of thymic epithelial tumors could possibly result in the development of novel promising therapies. Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex and constantly changing entity. The TME consists of stromal cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and innate and adaptive immune cells. Cancer development and progression occurs through this interplay between the tumor and the adjacent stroma. Cancer cells are capable of modifying their microenvironment by secreting various message-carrying molecules, such as cytokines, chemokines, and other factors. This action causes a reprogramming of the neighboring cells, which are enabled to play a crucial role in tumor survival and progression. The study of TME has many clinical implications in terms of cancer therapeutics because many new drugs, such as antibodies, kinase inhibitors, and liposome formulations that can encapsulate anti-cancer drugs, can be developed. Although chemotherapy is considered the standard of treatment for advanced disease, recent research has brought to light immunotherapy as a possible systemic alternative. However, the complex structure and function of the thymus hinders its routine use in clinical practice. The aim of this review paper is to discuss the recent advances in the investigation of the unique characteristics of the TME of thymic epithelial tumors that could possibly lead to the development of novel promising therapies.

Industry 4.0 has a significant impact on the automation of production processes, by causing numerous changes in three segments: companies, technology and workers. Developed countries worldwide have their own strategies on Industry 4.0, which offer guidelines on its implementation in production processes, with the aim of their complete flexible automation. The core technologies on which Industry 4.0 rests have led to a complete transformation in production processes, especially in the automotive industry. The basic technology of Industry 4.0 is robot technology, i.e., the implementation of industrial and service robots in production processes. The paper provides an analysis of the implementation of industrial robots and service robots in the automation of production processes in the automotive industry with a focus on China. The analysis of the automation of production processes of the automobile industry in China was carried out for two reasons. The first is that China has a growing middle-class population, so demographic trends are encouraging the growing demand for certain products, such as cars. Another reason is that in China (as in Japan, Russia and Western Europe) the average age of factory workers is increasing (the labor force is older), thus the performance of certain tasks becomes more difficult so greater efficiency is not achieved. The paper analyzes vehicle production in China, as well as the readiness of production processes in the automotive industry for the implementation of Industry 4.0.

Abstract Cathodic protection system is commonly employed approach for the protection of the metallic infrastructure placed in electrolyte against corrosion. Adequate design of the cathodic protection system requires the determination of electrical potential and current density distribution on the protected object surface that meets the defined criteria. In this paper, the application of the direct boundary element method in conjunction with Newton-Raphson method was considered for the calculation of the electric potential and current density distribution on the surface of the cathodically protected underground object. The considered method was applied on the sacrificial anode cathodic protection system of the underground pipeline. The non-linear boundary conditions of the electrode surfaces of the cathodic protection system are taken into account. The method was used to determine the current density and electric potential distribution on the external wall of the protected pipeline.