Model-Based Design of Tree WSNs for Decentralized Detection.

The classical decentralized detection problem of finding the optimal decision rules at the sensor and fusion center, as well as variants that introduce physical channel impairments have been studied extensively in the literature. The deployment of WSNs in decentralized detection applications brings new challenges to the field. Protocols for different communication layers have to be co-designed to optimize the detection performance. In this paper, we consider the communication network design problem for a tree WSN. We pursue a system-level approach where a complete model for the system is developed that captures the interactions between different layers, as well as different sensor quality measures. For network optimization, we propose a hierarchical optimization algorithm that lends itself to the tree structure, requiring only local network information. The proposed design approach shows superior performance over several contentionless and contention-based network design approaches.

Psychiatric morbidity associated with some cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-12, IL-18 and TNF-alpha) among rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Psychiatric morbidity is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and may affect disease activity and immunological markers. We studied the relationship of the psychiatric morbidity and immunological factors; the serum levels of Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-alpha), Interleukin-18 (IL-18) and its inducer interleukin-12 (IL-12), and their impact on RA disease activity. Forty-two RA patients and 20 apparently healthy individuals as a control group were included in this study. Psychiatric morbidity was identified according to the International Classification of Disease, tenth version criteria (ICD-10). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the mental health Short Form 36 (SF-36) were applied for further analysis. Serum IL-1beta, IL-12, IL-18 and the TNF-a were measured using Enzyme-Amplified Sensitivity Immunoassays (EASIA) and were correlated with psychiatric morbidity and disease activity as measured by Health Assessment Questionnaire and Overall Status. Psychiatric morbidity was found in 40.48% of the studied patients, the most common psychiatric disorders among RA patients were depressive disorders and anxiety disorders. The SF-36 score was closely correlated to the anxiety and depression score (P < 0.001). RA patients showed high levels of IL-1beta, IL-12, IL-18 and TNF-alpha than the control group. There was a significant correlation between psychiatric morbidity, serum levels of IL-1beta, IL-12, IL-18, TNF-alpha and disease activity measurements. We have to view rheumatoid arthritis as a psycho-immumological disorder rather than an autoimmune disease. Furthermore, the studied cytokines may be a novel target for therapeutic intervention of rheumatoid arthritis and its psychiatric morbidity.