Dynamic Repositioning of Aerial Base Stations for Enhanced User Experience in 5G and Beyond.

The ultra-dense deployment (UDD) of small cells in 5G and beyond to enhance capacity and data rate is promising, but since user densities continually change, the static deployment of small cells can lead to wastes of capital, the underutilization of resources, and user dissatisfaction. This work proposes the use of Aerial Base Stations (ABSs) wherein small cells are mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which can be deployed to a set of candidate locations. Furthermore, based on the current user densities, this work studies the optimal placement of the ABSs, at a subset of potential candidate positions, to maximize the total received power and signal-to-interference ratio. The problems of the optimal placement for increasing received power and signal-to-interference ratio are formulated, and optimal placement solutions are designed. The proposed solutions compute the optimal candidate locations for the ABSs based on the current user densities. When the user densities change significantly, the proposed solutions can be re-executed to re-compute the optimal candidate locations for the ABSs, and hence the ABSs can be moved to their new candidate locations. Simulation results show that a 22% or more increase in the total received power can be achieved through the optimal placement of the Aerial BSs and that more than 60% users have more than 80% chance to have their individual received power increased.

Facile synthesis of NiSe2-ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalysis and wastewater remediation.

In this study, NiSe2 nanocubes, ZnO rods, and their composites were prepared by simple chemical methods to investigate their photocatalytic response and antibacterial activity. The optimal concentration of NiSe2 nanocubes was explored for enhanced photocatalytic performance by varying its percentage in the NiSe2-ZnO composites. The findings suggested that the optical response of ZnO was significantly improved and shifted towards visible region by incorporating NiSe2 as a co-catalyst. The photocatalytic properties of NiSe2, ZnO, and NiSe2-ZnO composites were assessed under visible light by using methylene blue (MB) as a model pollutant. The results showed that the optimized composite containing 75% NiSe2 with ZnO exhibited outstanding photocatalytic efficiency of 97%. The degradation of MB dye by NiSe2, ZnO, and their composites followed the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics (Langmuir-Hinshelwood model). Furthermore, the prepared NiSe2-ZnO composite displayed exceptional reusability and stability over a number of cycles, demonstrating its practical applicability. This research presents unique findings, showcasing the comparative antibacterial performance of NiSe2, ZnO, and NiSe2-ZnO nanocomposites against Bacillus cereus (B. cereus). Of all the prepared photocatalysts, the 75% NiSe2-ZnO nanocomposite revealed the best performance, exhibiting an inhibition zone of 28 mm.

Electrophoretically deposited Asphaltum punjabianum (Shilajit) coatings on polyvinylalcohol/carboxymethylcellulose hydrogels.

The present study aims to develop Asphaltum punjabianum (namely Shilajit) coated Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogels and examine their structural, morphological, degradation, and biological properties. Hydrogels were produced at two different concentrations: 70:30 PVA/CMC and 90:10 PVA/CMC. Following that, Shilajit was applied to the synthesized hydrogels using electrophoretic deposition for a duration of 3 min at 30 V. The scanning electron microscopy images showed that the hydrogel's surface had a regular distribution of irregular Shilajit particles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis demonstrated the presence of hydrogen bonding between PVA and CMC hydrogels and Shilajit, indicating the successful deposition of Shilajit on the hydrogel. The hydrogels coated with Shilajit exhibited strong antimicrobial activity, resulting in an inhibition zone measuring 34 mm against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and 41 mm against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The hydrogels exhibited a cell viability of 80 % with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and the release of collagen II also increased. Furthermore, the PVA/CMC/Shilajit hydrogel exhibited a lower degradation rate compared to the PVA/CMC hydrogel. The results of the swelling, degradation, and drug release studies indicate that the shilajit coating is appropriate for the long-term process of tissue and cartilage regeneration.

Using Pre-stimulus EEG to Predict Driver Reaction Time To Road Events.

The ability to predict a driver's reaction time to road events could be used in driver safety assistance systems, allowing for autonomous control when a driver may be about to react with sup-optimal performance. In this paper, we evaluate a number of machine learning and feature engineering strategies that we use to predict the reaction time(s) of 24 drivers to road events using EEG (Electroencephalography) captured in an immersive driving simulator. Subject-independent models are trained and evaluated using EEG features extracted from time periods that precede the road events that we predict the reaction times for. Our paper has two contributions: 1) we predict the reaction times corresponding to individual road events using EEG spectral features from a time period before the onset of the road event, i.e. we take EEG data from 2 seconds before the event, and 2) we predict whether a subject will be a slow or fast responder compared to other drivers.

Investigating Inclusive Leadership and Pro-Social Rule Breaking in Hospitality Industry: Important Role of Psychological Safety and Leadership Identification.

This study aims to empirically examine the mediating effects of psychological safety and leadership identification on the relationship between inclusive leadership and pro-social rule breaking among hospitality employees. This study analyzes the survey data collected in three waves from 589 employees working in different hotels and restaurants operating in the Northern areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The scale validity, composite reliability, and hypotheses were assessed through PLS-SEM. The study found that inclusive leadership significantly impacts employees' pro-social rule-breaking. The study also found that leadership identification and psychological safety partially mediate the relationship between inclusive leadership and pro-social rule-breaking. Hospitality leaders can practice inclusive leadership characteristics because it may significantly enhance employee engagement in pro-social rule-breaking. Through their inclusive features, hospitality leaders can improve employees' psychological safety and leadership identification, enhancing frontline employees' pro-social rule-breaking.