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Michail, Sonia MD; Fuchs, George MD; Sylvester, Francisco MD; Issenman, Robert MD
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Reply: We appreciate the interest of Drs Saavedra and Yolken and their thoughts regarding probiotic infant formula and focusing their discussion on Bifidobacteria species. We would like to address their comments in the following paragraphs.
Regarding the analogy with antibiotics, perhaps a more appropriate comparison is with live vaccines, in which such a concept of general safety is highly relevant. The comments regarding safety issues in our guidelines are supported by evidence, with relevant citations provided.
The market for probiotics continues to rely heavily on health claims made by manufacturers and retailers. The comments brought by a commercial entity interested in bringing Bifidobacterium lactis strain Bb12 to market in infant formula, although important, can pose a conflict of interest but is an interesting concept and worthy of investigation. As Drs Saavedra and Yolken rightfully point out, there is a long history of ingestion of probiotic-type organisms in foods (1,2), but only recently have high-dose probiotic preparations become available for ingestion. The different forms of probiotics can vary greatly (3). Comparison studies of freeze-dried probiotic preparations versus foods naturally containing probiotics or foods that have had probiotics added are lacking. Thus, there remains an unmet need for appropriate and adequate studies in the area of health benefits of probiotics.
The safety and use of probiotics in dietetic products for infants was beyond the scope of our review (4), and as stated in our document, the reader is referred to a document written by the Nutrition Committee of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) (5), the conclusion of which was that there was no evidence at that time to support long-term clinical benefit of probiotic infant formulae.
We feel the comment that "the greatest evidence of safe use in infants and children, including high-risk populations, has accumulated for Bifidobacteria, etc." is not substantiated based on the presently published evidence. There are a few studies in which safety was a primary study outcome. Drs Saavedra and Yolken are to be commended for their interest to investigate the safety of probiotics (6). Clearly, more studies are needed so that large numbers of infants are followed over longer periods of time. However, the use of Bifidobacteria species in immune-compromised children has not been adequately studied, and thus claims of safety in high-risk populations await confirmation. The study cited in the letter (7), which was funded by Nestlé Nutrition, refers to the use of this probiotic agent in infants born to mothers with HIV, but only in abstract form and without safety data.
With regard to the regulatory oversight of commercially available probiotics, there are important differences in regulation of claims regarding nutritional versus pharmaceutical products, with the latter being considerably more rigorous. Coming back to the authors' analogy with antibiotics (or more appropriately vaccines), no antibiotic or live vaccine could be marketed to the public in the way that probiotics are being marketed with the comparable current level of evidence, or lack thereof. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease as drugs under section 201(g)(1)(B) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 USC § 321[g][1][B]). According to a recent communication with the FDA, there is no probiotic preparation of any form that has been approved by the FDA as a drug in the United States. Therefore, it will remain the sole responsibility of the prescribing clinician to understand the various strains and preparations commercially available and be able to advise patients accordingly.
Finally, the discussion implying that the incorporation of these bacteria into daily foods may decrease the incidence of autoimmune diseases is interesting, but highly speculative.
© 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
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Jordan Macha is the Gulf States Representative for Sierra Club based in New Orleans. For the past two years, Jordan has worked to move Louisiana beyond coal-fired power and encourage the investment in clean, alternative energy. In 2009, she worked with community groups to encourage Entergy to move beyond coal and cancel their proposed Little Gypsy coal-fired power plant. In 2010, Jordan worked with the Louisiana Public Service Commission to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard pilot program, the first in the Deep South. Currently, she is working with the Louisiana Public Service Commission to develop an Energy Efficiency program to help fund weatherization and energy efficiency projects across Louisiana. The Sierra Club has worked extensively in New Orleans developing weatherization projects since Hurricane Katrina and would like to see similar programs across the State. In the Gulf, she is working with impacted communities from the BP oil disaster to help ensure restoration to the region.
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This is a discussion on Brothers argue over bathroom,1 dead within the In the News: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly forums, part of the The Back Porch category; Morons...
Sig 226, 228. Glock 19, 23. Smith Model 60,and 1911. XD45 Tactical. Mossberg 930 SPX.
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Perfectly adorable for the onesie-wearing crew.
You'll Need: A one-piece-outfit, hot glue gun, self-adhesive Velcro dots and at least 10 or more kitchen sponges.
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SasuNaru- Sasuke Sensei 1
-This is an alternate story, using characters in Naruto. This fan fiction contains YAOI, so if youre not into those subjects, get out of here.
-Any Narutos character is not mine, I just used them.
-Please leave a comment or suggestion after reading so I can improve my storyline.
Uzumaki Naruto, a second-year student in high school peeking carefully. If nobody saw him, he will success getting up the roof to get some sleep. Skipping class was not a rare thing to him. Every teacher had given up on lecturing him. It was useless, because even his guardian, Iruka wasnt able to make him a good student. Even the discipline teacher only can catch him skipping, but unable to punish him because it was not worth it. Naruto was too hard to be persuaded.
Naruto: (stretching his body) Ahhh... nice day! Im very stupid if I stayed in the class. I should...
Gaara: (suddenly appeared) ... rest and sleep like a log. Isnt that right?
Naruto: Oh, Gaara. Its you. Why youre also here?
Gaara: Because I know at a time like this youll be here. The teacher wouldnt notice me anyway.
Naruto: Stop talking like that! (lie down on his back)
Gaara: Its the truth anyway. (sat down next to Naruto) So, what will you do?
Naruto: About what?
Gaara: (sighed) Youre not just an idiot, youre also forgetful. The challenge from Raikiri gang.
Naruto: Oh, those shitty-looking bastards? Dont worry, Ill finish them in no time. Pretty stupid for them to challenge me when they knew I was the strongest around here.
Gaara: Dont be too much confident, Naruto. Someday youll find someone stronger than you.
Naruto: So what? If hes truly stronger than me, then Ill just make myself stronger and beat him up.
Gaara: But you can get hurt... (hugging his knees) I dont like it.
Naruto: (pinch Gaaras cheek) Heeyy, since when this cold-hearted Gaara worried on people? Dont act this girlish, you give me the creeps.
Gaara: You truly didnt understand a thing. (stood up) Im leaving.
Naruto: What? Are you sulking now? Oi, Gaara!! (Whats with him? Getting mad all of a sudden.)
In the evening.
Naruto just returned to his class, and the girls looked so excited and chatting cheerfully. He raised his eyebrows, and decided to ask whats all the commotion about. He approached his once-loved girl, Haruno Sakura.
Naruto: Yo, Sakura-chan. Whats this all about? You all look very excited.
Sakura: Next time dont skip class, Naruto. We just had a new teacher earlier, and hes sooo coooool!!
Naruto: (a bit annoyed at the horny tone) Is he THAT great?
Sakura: Of course he is! I heard that hes very young, he become a teacher right after he graduated.
Naruto: Ah, really? Then, hes a booo-ring guy!
Sakura: (smacked on Narutos shoulder) What made you said that?
Naruto: Ouch! If he graduated at such a young age, means that all he did in his life was studying and nothing else. Thats too boring if you asked me.
Sakura: To us, thats cool. Next time, you should see him for yourself. Oh, after school, are you going somewhere?
Naruto: Umm, kinda. Why? You wanted a ride?
Sakura: If only youre not busy. Your motobike is still functioning?
Naruto: Yeah, of course. Even if somebody broke it down, I can fix it. Those gangsters are nothing.
Sakura: You said you kinda going somewhere...
Naruto: Ah, yes, about that. Well, a new gang called Raikiri sent me a challenge. Sorry that I cannot give you a ride, because I think Gaara will want to tag along.
Sakura: (pouting) Gaara from the third class? You both really are troublemakers.
Naruto: We arent the one challenging. Those guys challenged us, so we need to teach them a lesson. Not to mess with Naruto-sama.
Sakura: (sighed) Just dont die. Or youll make Iruka-san sad.
Naruto: Too late for that. Oh, right! Sakura-chan, tell Ino that Ill go to work tomorrow. I cant make it today, I guess.
Sakura: Yeah, whatever.
Naruto grinned, but then frowned. He lived a very hard life. As an orphan, he lived with his guardian, Iruka. Naruto hoped that soon hell be able to live alone, not to bother Iruka anymore. Naruto had been working part-time at Inos flower shop. Even though hes not an excellent student, everyone in his class can accept him and didnt hate him. Gaara was his best friend, since that boy is similar to him. Always involved in a fight. One thing different is that red-haired boy wasnt accepted by people. Teachers were too afraid to punish him. And he seems like only willing to talk to Naruto. He just made a cold expression to anyone else.
Naruto pushed his motobike to the gate. Gaara was waiting for him. Naruto grinned, as the other boy waved at him. Quickly, Naruto started the engine and Gaara mounted behind him.
Naruto: I thought you was mad earlier?
Gaara: At least, Ill be there to pick your dead body if you got beaten up.
Naruto: (laughed) Pick the Raikiri shits! Im going to finish them off, and after that...
Gaara: Ramen party.
Naruto: You got that right! Your treat!
Gaara: (smiled) Yeah, sure.
As they took off, two persons were observing them from the directors room. The director, Tsunade and the new teacher, Uchiha Sasuke. The new teacher folded his arm, watching those kids leaving.
Sasuke: So, the blond one is Naruto?
Tsunade: Yes, he wasnt in the class, was he? If you wanted to know, thats him.
Sasuke: Hes a bad kid, isnt him? So why did you kept him in this school?
Tsunade: Yes, hes bad, but yet hes also good. His heart. If only he quit his fighting habit, I bet he would be just like a normal teen should.
Sasuke: Whos the other boy?
Tsunade: Oh, that is Gaara. Unlike Naruto, hes... different. Nobody can make him smile except for Naruto. Seems that only Naruto can change that boy.
Sasuke: Thats why you wanted to change Naruto. If he will turn to be a good kid, then the same thing will happen to Gaara, right?
Tsunade: Exactly.
Sasuke: Leave it to me.
Tsunade: Are you sure? Every new teacher said the very same thing before they gave up.
Sasuke: Well, somebody has to change him.
Tsunade: Okay, do as you wish. But if you find it was too difficult, dont push yourself too hard.
Sasuke: (looking outside) Aah, I understand.
Just as Naruto said, he won against five guys single-handed. Gaara only watched from the motobike. He promised not to interfere unless those guys attacked him too. Naruto wiped his mouth, as a punch landed on his face earlier. Then, he grinned to Gaara and walked straight to him. The red head took out his handkerchief and handed it over to the blond.
Naruto: Aah, thanks. (took the handkerchief)
Gaara: To think that one of them able to land a punch on your face... thats not like usual.
Naruto: I was careless. Anyway, theyre already finished...!
Obito (one of the Raikiris gang): Quit your bragging, brat! You have never met our leader!
Naruto: Oh? Then you should not come. Tell him to challenge me like a man. Dont use his dogs to fight a guy like me.
Obito: Youre just a kid, dont be so cocky!
Naruto: A kid that beat you old man up? And you were five people, dont you feel shame of yourself?
Obito: You...!!
Gaara: (held Narutos arm) Thats enough, Naruto. Lets go somewhere to tend your wound.
Naruto: Ah, right. But then can we go to have ramen?
Gaara: Whatever, lets just leave for now. Ill treat you ramen, so lets go.
Naruto started his motobike with Gaara riding behind him. The red head embraced him very close, made the blond felt uncomfortable.
Naruto: Whoa, calm down, Gaara. Whats wrong? Were you scared?
Gaara: I wasnt afraid of those guys at all. Not a bit. You know me.
Naruto: Then, why?
Gaara: I am worried about you. What if their leader really is stronger than you are?
Naruto: (stopped his motobike) Gaara!
Gaara: I am very concerned about his words, Naruto.
Naruto: (turned to Gaara) Do you know why Im never afraid of anyone?
Gaara: Im not a mind-reader, so I dont know.
Naruto: (sighed) Because I had a friend like you around. I know if something bad is going to happen to me, youll be there, right? (grinning)
Gaara: Idiot, I rather you never got into trouble...
Naruto: Look whos talking. Youre also a troublemaker like me, dumb!
Gaara: It doesnt matter what will happen to me. Nobody will get affected. But, you, if something happened to you, many people get sad. And I... will lose my only friend...
Naruto: Idiot Gaara! Who said that nobody will be sad if something happened to you?
Gaara: Who will? Even my siblings turned their back on me...
Naruto: (pat on Gaaras shoulder) I would.
Gaara: You... would feel sad?
Naruto: Aah, of course I will. Now, dont make that face. Im still alive, okay?
Gaara: (squeezed Narutos waist tightly) Dont die before me.
Naruto: (smiling softly) I swear Ill be just fine.
The blond arrived at his house a bit late. As he expected, Iruka was waiting in the living room. His face was already frowning, and worsened when he saw Narutos injury.
Iruka: Who is it this time?
Naruto: (uninterested look) Just a bunch of fools from a gang.
Iruka: Naruto-kun, you should quit your fighting habit, if your parents still alive...
Naruto: (glared hardly) The fact is they dont. So please dont mention something nonsense.
Iruka: Naruto-kun!
Naruto: Im sorry, Iruka-san. I need rest. And dont make dinner for me. I already ate this evening. (went into his room)
Iruka dropped on the couch. He had no idea how to make Naruto understand that he cared about him. Whenever he mentioned about his parents, Naruto would easily upset. Iruka had been taking care of Naruto since Naruto was still very young. That time, the blond was a very good kid. But, he didnt really know why his son suddenly became rebellious. Iruka didnt mind a bit if he had to take care of Naruto for the rest of his life.
The next day.
Naruto started his motobike, ready to go to the school. Iruka came out of the house, catching his breath. He was holding a spatula, clearly he was cooking.
Iruka: Naruto-kun, your breakfast??
Naruto: Not hungry. Im off to Gaaras house.
Iruka: Naruto-kun!!
Naruto felt very guilty for leaving like that. But the truth is he wanted Iruka to hate him. Hate him until he kicked out of the house. Iruka is still single, due to his work and busy life. He dont even had time to date someone. Naruto felt that it is time for his guardian to start his own life. Not taking care of a brat like him. Gaara was waiting in front of his house. He smiled as he saw Naruto.
Naruto: Morning, good-looking!
Gaara: (hit Narutos head) Shut up. Im not a girl.
Naruto: (pinching Gaaras cheek) But youre so cute! Ill kill someone who dare to ruin this face.
Gaara: Yeah right. Nobody had ever injured my face, so you can keep your fists.
Naruto: Come on, ride up. Were going.
Gaara: (get on the bike) Youre werent making your guardian sad again, were you?
Naruto: Youre not a mind-reader, but you always hit bulls eye.
Gaara: Why did you do that? If someone loved you, you should appreciate it. Unlike me, nobody loves me. Iruka-san really cared about you.
Naruto: He supposed to live a normal life. Im a useless brat, he shouldnt care about me anymore.
Gaara: Naruto, you...
Naruto: Another word, youre walking to school.
Gaara: Okay, sorry.
Naruto yawned several times. As usual, class felt like an old tv show to him. Too boring to stay. He hoped the recess time will come quickly. And he can have lunch with Gaara later at the roof. The Math teacher was just out. The girls started to be excited, Naruto knew next it will be the new teachers turn to come in. He raised his head a bit, at least he wanted to see what kind of person he is. The class door opened, and a guy with dark blue suit and a pair of glasses walked in. Indeed, he is good-looking. But Naruto wasnt impressed at all. Plain guy after all.
Sasuke: Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto: Huh?
Sasuke: I didnt see you in my class yesterday. Where were you?
Naruto: I skip class. Next time when you dont see me, you can find me on the roof.
Sasuke: (What a brave brat...) Oh, youre very honest, Uzumaki-kun?
Naruto: Lying just for fools. I may not smart, but Im not a fool to lie about something so obvious.
Sakura: (pale face, pinched Naruto) Hey, show him some respect!
Naruto: What for? Anyway, welcome to our school, Sensei.
Sasuke: Can you come to the office later?
Naruto: Okay, but when recess time Ill leave. I got to eat lunch cause I skipped breakfast.
Sasuke: Dont worry, Ill just have a little talk with you.
Naruto: You better do.
In the office.
Naruto walked in as if the office is his own room. Other teachers looked at him, but then made a its just this brat expression. Naruto walked to Sasukes table and sat in front of him, making a bored face. Sasuke smiled, and he touched Narutos cheek. Gasped, the blond quickly smack the hand away. Nobody allowed to touch him like that, except Iruka and Gaara.
Sasuke: Youre still like this, huh?
Naruto: Sorry, it was just Im not used... hey, what do you mean still? Have we met before?
Sasuke: Look how youve grown... dont you remember me? (took off his glasses)
Naruto: (trying to remember) I think I had seen you... in school uniform...
Sasuke: You already forget... I remembered how you said you hated your elementary school teachers and you said you didnt want to go to school.
Naruto: Ahhh!! Youre Sasuke!
Sasuke: Glad you remember. When the principle said Uzumaki Naruto, I had a quick thought it was you. But when she said a bad kid, I thought it was someone else. And it is really you, Naruto.
Naruto: I have never heard of you after you got into the college.
Sasuke: I studied like hell there, just to fulfill this promise I made to you.
Naruto: What promise?
Sasuke: I promised that Ill be a teacher, so that you will never hate teachers anymore.
Naruto: Good memories, because I dont remember anything about that.
Sasuke: Naruto, about that red head...
Naruto: You better dont mess with Gaara. Hes not like me. And I will never forgive you if you done something to him.
Sasuke: That kid was so important to you? (frowning)
Naruto: Hes my best friend. Sorry, I promised him that Ill meet him for lunch. See you later, Sasuke-sensei. (stood up and leave)
The blond just had a brief memory about Sasuke. He used to be their neighbor. Sasuke is five years older than Naruto, and they havent met since Sasuke got into college. Naruto went upstairs, and Gaara was already there, waiting for him.
Naruto: Yo, Gaara. Sorry, got stuck with the new teacher just now.
Gaara: Being lectured again?
Naruto: Not really. Hes my ex-neighbor, so he wanted to greet me.
Gaara: Ex-neighbor? That Sasuke-sensei know you?
Naruto: (biting his bread) Aah, kinda. But we were not close.
Gaara: Are you... going to be his friend?
Naruto: Hm? I dont know... maybe yes, maybe no. If he doesnt irritate me, so Ill treat him well. But if he did something I dont like, Ill hate him.
Gaara: Is that so...?
Naruto: Why did you asked? And whats with that awful look?
Gaara: You know that every teacher tried to change you into a better person. I bet he had the same intention later.
Naruto: Thats normal, and you knew that none of them succeed.
Gaara: This time is different, you knew this person and he also know you. As far as I know, to change you, their first idea is to get rid of me.
Naruto: You mean he will try to separate us later?
Gaara: Thats what all the teachers tried to do, right?
Naruto: Dont worry, I would never-ever leave you for something like that. Youre my friend.
Gaara: Promise you wont leave me?
Naruto: (smiled) I swear, if I ever leave you, then a lightning will strike me!
(Thunder sound)
Naruto: (gasped) Yikes! Hey, dont scare me like that! Im not lying you know!! (shouted to the sky)
Gaara: (chuckled) You scared of it, huh?
Naruto: Stupid, if lightning strike me, Ill be dead!
Gaara: (moves closer to Naruto) Then let me die too.
Naruto: Uh... yeah. Sure. (leaning his head on Gaaras shoulder)
SasuNaru- Sasuke Sensei 1 by witchcrystalchanWatch
©2009-2016 witchcrystalchan
Nyahahaha~~~ told you that I'm not quitting! Read, enjoy and comment! My storyline can be guessed, but you will wonder what will happen next, right? I give you four options:
1= Exciting
2= Good
3= All above
4= Damn boring, should quit!
Choose wisely, nyahahaha~~~!!!
1= Exciting
2= Good
3= All above
4= Damn boring, should quit!
Choose wisely, nyahahaha~~~!!!
Gaay Gaay Gayyy! Will there be GaaNaru?!
4??? just kidding 1 And 2
To tell you the truth, most missing chapters were deleted by the admins. I kept all the original draft in my laptop and currently my laptop can't be used. I'll inform you when I uploaded it again.
3 All the way!!! Please continue this!!!
Made me feeling like writing more, thanks!
3.. I like it..!
I like it as usual so I give it a 3
I choose a 2 or a 1/2, This is a really good story cant wait for the next chapter


text:
- About this Journal ·
- Abstracting and Indexing ·
- Aims and Scope ·
- Annual Issues ·
- Article Processing Charges ·
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- Author Guidelines ·
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- Table of Contents
International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks
Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 156268, 13 pages
A Self-Organized and Smart-Adaptive Clustering and Routing Approach for Wireless Sensor Networks
Department of Industrial Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea
Received 15 July 2011; Revised 1 October 2011; Accepted 6 October 2011
Academic Editor: Yuhang Yang
Copyright © 2012 Kyuhong Lee and Heesang Lee. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Efficient energy consumption is a critical factor for the deployment and operation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In general, WSNs perform clustering and routing using localized neighbor information only. Therefore, some studies have used self-organized systems and smart mechanisms as research methods. In this paper, we propose a self-organized and smart-adaptive clustering (SOSAC) and routing method, which performs clustering in WSNs, operates the formed clusters in a smart-adaptive way, and performs cluster-based routing. SOSAC is comprised of three mechanisms, which are used to change the fitness value over time, to back up routing information in preparation for any potential breakdown in WSNs, and to adapt to the changes of the number of sensor nodes for a WSN. We compared the performance of the proposed SOSAC with that of a well-known clustering and routing protocol for WSNs. Our computational experiments demonstrate that the network lifetime, energy consumption, and scalability of SOSAC are better than those of the compared method.
1. Introduction
A wireless sensor network (WSN) is an infrastructure composed of wireless sensor nodes, which perform sensing tasks and transmit the data to a base station (BS) that is the final processing node for the WSN. According to the features of the wireless network, WSNs are widely used in dynamic and hazardous regions as well as in many industries including production, logistics, distribution, transportation, and health [1].
WSNs have many characteristics that differ from conventional wireless networks. For example, WSNs have several inherent constraints that are unique to this type of wireless networks [2, 3]. First, a WSN consists of hundreds or thousands of wireless sensor nodes but each node in a WSN is constrained in terms of processing capability and storage capacity. Second, the power device of the sensor node in WSNs cannot be recharged or replaced so that energy efficiency is very important [4].
Routing protocols in a WSN should be developed and proposed with consideration for these unique characteristics. The routing decides the transmission route for a data packet from the sensor node to the final destination BS. The communication channels of WSNs can be configured through multihop mesh network called "flat routing". In contrast, a "cluster-based routing" method divides a WSN into several clusters. In this cluster-based routing, each cluster is comprised of a "cluster head" (CH) and several "cluster members" (CMs). After formation of the cluster, hierarchical routing is performed, where CMs transmit data packets to its CH, and the CH integrates these data packets and transmits them to the BS directly or via other CHs [2].
Along with the development of communication networks, the routing paradigm has changed from a centralized system to a distributed system due to the demand for better scalability and simple installation. In WSNs, tens or thousands of sensor nodes may be needed to create one network, so when selecting the processor, memory, and power devices, economical devices with limited functions are used [1]. Accordingly, the distributed routing method is used rather than the centralized routing method for WSNs considering the processing ability of the sensor nodes [1]. When distributed processing is used, each sensor node is not allowed to use the information of the entire WSNs and must therefore perform clustering and routing using the localized neighbor information only. When the power device for sensor nodes is not rechargeable or replaceable, it is also important to consider energy efficiency in order to maximize the network lifetime of the sensor nodes by minimizing the energy consumption [4].
Self-organization, which is a further development of distributed processing, is a system that uses local information only through a distributed and peer-to-peer method. Many studies on self-organized systems are being conducted using only local information and simple rules because of the associated advantages such as reduction of overheads in communication traffic, scalability, and robustness. Also, self-organization has been applied to many areas in the wireless network field such as ad-hoc networks, WSNs, wireless LAN, in routing, forming clusters, MAC protocol design, and radio resources management. Some studies have been conducted on self-organization with the features of WSNs [5].
Recently "smart" characteristics of routing have also been suggested in telecommunication networking [6–8]. Here smart means the capability to describe and analyze a situation, taking decisions based on the available data in a predictive or adaptive manner, and thereby performing smart actions.
In this paper, we propose a self-organized and smart-adaptive clustering (SOSAC) and routing method comprised of three mechanisms for a WSN. First, in order to select an appropriate CH, which is the most important factor influencing the clustering performance, two types of performance measure are used. The proposed mechanism adjusts the weights of these two performance measures automatically to reflect the changes in the WSN. Second, the broadcasting range, which is another important factor influencing the performance of clustering in SOSAC, is predetermined as a function of the number of sensor nodes. Third, to overcome problems caused by possible breakdown, damage, or failure of sensor nodes in WSNs, a smart backup mechanism is established to monitor the state of the CH without heavy overhead and to restore the system automatically in the case of such problems.
This paper is organized as follows. Section 2 reviews previous studies on clustering, self-organization, and smart telecommunication networks and their implications for this research. Section 3 presents the radio model that is used and the basic assumptions used in this study. Section 4 explains the process of forming self-organized clusters and routing. Section 5 describes how to operate clustering in a smart-adaptive way by using three proposed mechanisms. In this section, we also compare the performance of the proposed SOSAC with that of another well-known model. The measures for comparison are network lifetime, residual energy after a certain time, and scalability of the model. The last section presents the conclusions of this study and proposes future research directions.
2. Related Works
Grouping sensor nodes into clusters has been widely pursued by the research community in order to achieve the network scalability objective. The objective of clustering is mainly to generate stable clusters in environments with sensor nodes. In addition to supporting network scalability, clustering has numerous advantages. It can localize the route set up within the cluster and thus reduce the size of the routing table stored at the individual sensor node [3, 9]. Clustering can also conserve communication bandwidth since it limits the scope of intercluster interactions to CHs and avoids redundant exchange of messages among sensor nodes [10]. Moreover, clustering can stabilize the network topology at the level of sensor nodes, and thus cut down on topology maintenance overhead. Sensor nodes are only affected by the connection with their CHs and not by changes at the level of inter-CH tier [11]. The CH can also implement optimized management strategies to further enhance the network operation and prolong the battery life of the individual sensor nodes and the network lifetime [10].
"Self-organization" is defined as the process where a structure or pattern appears in a system without intervention by external directing influences. It organizes through direct interaction in a peer to peer method [5]. The advantages of using the self-organized system are as follows [5, 12]. First, one of the most important characteristics of self-organization is the completely distributed control. Each participating system component acts on local decisions, that is, it is not possible to review the current global state and act accordingly. Second, an inherent feature of self-organizing systems is their capability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This is a direct result of the distributed peer to peer working principle. Third, the robustness of the system prevents any problems due to breakdown, damage, or failure of individual elements. Fourth, scalability protects the system from degradation by increasing the number of individual elements in the system.
Several cluster-based and self-organized protocols for WSNs were studied as follows.
In the LEACH protocol [13], the basic idea is to select sensor nodes randomly as CHs. Random selection of a CH is good for self-organization of the cluster configuration. Cluster configuration is repeated at each round, and the round is divided into two phases: the "set-up phase" and the "steady phase". In the set-up phase, LEACH selects a CH candidate with a threshold for a random number. In this phase, each sensor node compares a random number with the threshold to elect itself to a CH, and this process is performed independently for each cluster. In the steady phase, the sensor nodes sense environment and transmit data, and the CHs aggregate the data before sending the data to the BS.
LEACH-Energy Distance (LEACH-ED) [14] is another self-organized protocol that is based on LEACH. It uses a different threshold from LEACH. The ratio between the residual energy of a sensor node and the total current energy of all of the sensor nodes in the network is used for the first threshold of LEACH-ED. It also uses the distance threshold as the second threshold. If the distance between a sensor node and an existing CH is less than the distance threshold, the sensor node cannot be elected as a CH.
The hybrid-energy efficient distributed protocol (HEED) [15] selects CHs by combining the residual energy of the sensor and the communication cost for selection of the CH in a WSN. The communication cost is calculated using the average minimum reachability power or the neighbor sensor node degree as the secondary parameter. Once the CH is selected, HEED uses a hierarchical routing protocol with a 3-tier structure, where first each CM transmits data to its CH, second each CH sends data to one special CH by using the breadth-first search tree, and finally the special CH sends all data to the BS.
Robust energy efficient distributed clustering (REED) [16] is a self-organized clustering method which constructs independent sets of CH overlays on the top of the physical network to achieve fault tolerance. Each sensor must reach at least one CH from each overlay. The method of selection of CH is same as HEED.
Distributed, energy-efficient, and dual-homed clustering (DED) [17] is a self-organized clustering method that achieves fault tolerance by providing an alternative route from sources to the BS. Each regular sensor node has a primary CH and a secondary backup CH. DEED and HEED are the same method for CH selection but use different parameters for the selection.
In telecommunications, although some researchers have studied smart systems for the formation or operation of communication networks, each study has used different methods and different definitions, as shown in the related studies described below.
In traditional networks, passive means were used to send packets or signals to each termination, but active networks have recently been suggested that allow nodes to customize computation on message flowing [18] or a new smart network framework with not only active services but also the concepts of contextawareness and userawareness [19]. In this network, the nodes of the network have the capability to sense, to reason and to be aware of the context and behavior of users, and automatically provide active services to users according to their situation and context knowledge [20].
Stone et al. [21] have suggested a smart network which requires three types of intelligence. First, it is an inference system for collecting information about the user's interaction with the network. Second, it is a framework associated with mobile agents for routing through the network of processing messages and servers. Third, it is a gateway to allow access to the network.
Gelenbe et al. [6, 7] have suggested a cognitive packet network which provides intelligent capabilities for routing and flow control to packets instead of the nodes or protocol in the wired network or wireless ad hoc network. This has enabled the realization of a smart routing system that allows the cognitive packets to find their own route between source and destination in the packet switched networks.
3. Network Modeling
3.1. First Order Ratio Model
A sensor node consumes energy when transmitting and receiving data packets in a WSN. In wireless data transmission, energy consumption is correlated to the data packet size and the distance between the two sensor nodes. Extensive research has been conducted in the area of low-energy radios. Different assumptions about the radio characteristics, including energy dissipation in the transmission and received modes, will change the advantages of different protocols. In our work, we assume the following first-order radio model as our radio energy consumption model.(i)Transmitting the data packet: a sensor node consumes at the transmitter circuitry and at the amplifier.(ii)Receiving the data packet: a sensor node consumes at the receiver circuitry.(iii)A k-bit data packet is transmitted from sensor node to sensor node, and is the distance between the two sensor nodes and ; the energy consumption of sensor node is given by .(iv)The sensor node receives data packet: the energy consumption of sensor node is given by .
3.2. Assumptions and Definitions for the Model
We assign the following properties and make the following assumptions for modeling and simulation for the WSN.(i)The location of all sensor nodes and the BS are fixed.(ii)The location of the BS (25 m, 150 m) is known in advance in the 50 m*50 m sensor field.(iii)The data packet size is 1,000 bits, and signal packet size is 50 bits.(iv)All sensor nodes have an initial energy of 0.5 J.(v)Period: in the data transmission phase, a CM creates information sensed by itself into a data packet and transmits this packet to its CH. The CH aggregates the data packets received from its CMs and transmits them to the BS through the intercluster route. A cycle of this process is defined as a "period".(vi)Round: some number of periods carried out within a data transmission phase can be defined as a "round". In our experiments, we assume that 1 round is made up of 10 periods.(vii)Network lifetime: the periods until a certain number of sensor nodes drained of its energy can be defined as the "network lifetime".
4. Self-Organized and Smart-Adaptive Clustering (SOSAC): The Proposed Clustering and Routing Protocol
This section explains the procedure of the SOSAC proposed herein. SOSAC decides the CHs every round, and it is comprised of three phases, as set forth in Sections4.2, 4.3, and 4.4. In Section4.1, the state of each sensor node of the WSN is explained to help understand the SOSAC operations.
4.1. States of Sensor Nodes
Each sensor node of SOSAC performs its duties while being changed into the following five states depending on the roles. Figure 1 indicates the state transition diagram of SOSAC.(i)Undecided state: when a sensor node has been scattered first in the sensor field, after a CH has completed its duty, and after a sensor node has dropped out of the node with CH candidate state, the sensor node becomes a node with undecided state. A node with undecided state does not belong to any cluster, yet.(ii)CH candidate state: when the sensor nodes are scattered in the sensor field at period zero, all sensor nodes become a node with CH candidate state. Some of sensor nodes with a CM state also can become nodes with CH candidate state. Only a node with CH candidate state can compete for selection of CHs.(iii)CH state: one node with CH candidate state within a cluster becomes a node with CH state, that is, a CH in that period. As a CH, it collects and aggregates information from its CMs and transfers data packets to other CHs or the BS. Also, a CH decides its nearby nodes as the nodes with CH candidate state for the next round.(iv)CM state: when a CH is decided, all other sensor nodes in the same cluster become nodes with CM state, that is, CMs. A CM periodically sends the sensed information to its CH.(v)Drained state: when a sensor node cannot function anymore because all its energy has been drained or it has broken down, it becomes a node with drained state.
SOCAC is comprised of a clustering phase that forms the clusters, an intercluster routing phase that decides on the transmission route among the CHs, and a data transmission phase that sends/receives the data packets.
Figure 2 indicates the progress of SOSAC in a flowchart.
4.2. Clustering Phase
SOSAC needs a clustering phase for the hierarchical routing. The clustering phase commences if the sensor nodes are scattered first in the sensor field or after the "data transmission phase" has finished. The clustering phase is comprised of three steps: Broadcasting step, CH selection step, and clustering step as shown in Algorithm 1.
4.2.1. Broadcasting Step
When the sensor nodes are scattered in the sensor field at period zero, no sensor node belongs to any cluster, thus all sensor nodes are assumed in the same cluster at period zero. The CHs broadcast a CH-change-signal packet only within the broadcasting range in procedure 2.1 of Algorithm 1 because since a CH was at a good position when it was selected as the CH, it is highly likely that its neighbors are also at good location for being CHs. By limiting the broadcasting range, the overhead of the clustering phase can be reduced because of the proximity of the nodes with the CH candidate state.
4.2.2. CH Selection Step
In procedure 3.2 of Algorithm 1, we update the counter, which is the number of received CH-candidate-signal packets. This counter will be used for calculating the fitness value in procedure 5 of Algorithm 1. A CH-candidate-information-signal packet, which a node with CH candidate state broadcasts in procedure 4.1 of Algorithm 1, contains the energy state of the sending sensor node. Information of the received CH-candidate-signal packets is also used to calculate the fitness value in procedure 5 of Algorithm 1. The CH-candidate-information-signal packets are broadcast within 2*(broadcasting range) for the following reasons. All nodes with the CH candidate state of a cluster must share the neighborhood information with all nodes with CH candidate states within the same cluster. This can be achieved by sending the CH-candidate-information-signal packets within two times of the broadcasting range for two nodes with the CH candidate state that are farthest away from each other.
4.2.3. Clustering Step
A node with CH state in procedure 8.1 of Algorithm 1 broadcasts a CH-signal packet to the entire sensor field to form its cluster. The sensor nodes in all states except nodes with CH state or nodes with drained state that receive these signal packets select the nearest CH and become a CM of that cluster.
4.3. Intercluster Routing Phase
After the clustering phase, the CHs create an intercluster routing tree and select a CH as the "master CH". Each CH sends packets to the master CH and the master CH transmits the packet to the BS directly. Transmission of data packets through the intercluster routing tree, and its master CH can save energy compared to the direct transmission of data packets from all CHs to the BS.
In the process of creating a tree for intercluster routing, the CHs perform their duties while changing into the following three states depending on the roles.(i)Initial state: if the intercluster routing phase starts, all CHs are initialized as the CHs with initial state. If a CH with initial state receives a route-broadcast-signal packet, it transmits ACK back to the CH that sent the route-broadcast-signal packet to the CH.(ii)Route broadcasting state: after finding the master CH, that CH becomes a CH with route broadcasting state. The master CH sends route-broadcast-signal packets to CHs with initial state. A CH with initial state that received a route-broadcast-signal packet becomes a CH with route broadcasting state.(iii)Route-established state: the CH with route broadcasting state broadcasts route-broadcast-signal packet to establish an intercluster route and then becomes a CH with route-established state. When all CHs with initial state become CHs with route-established state, all CHs become CHs with route-established state.
Figure 3 indicates the transition diagram of CHs in the intercluster routing phase.
The intercluster routing phase is divided into the deciding master CH step and the route establishment step.
4.3.1. Deciding Master CH Step
The expected residual energy in procedure 1 of Algorithm 2 is the expected remaining energy of each CH, which is calculated as the following. where is the expected consuming energy which sends data packets to BS during the next round. CH broadcasts a CH-expected-residual-energy-signal packet to the whole area of the sensor field in procedure 2.1 of Algorithm 2. We use this simple broadcasting technique because any CH can get energy information for all CHs in the sensor field and compare it with its own energy information since each CH broadcasts CH-expected-residual-energy-signal packets to the whole area of the sensor field. This does not generate a heavy overhead since the signal packets are small and we assume that the sensor field is small (between 50 m*50 m and 150 m*150 m) in this study. When the sensor field is very large, we need to modify this intercluster routing procedure by using some flat routing techniques.
4.3.2. Route Establishment Step
A CH with initial state that receives the route-broadcast-signal packets sets the nearest CH with route established state as the first section of its transmission route. The CHs with route broadcasting state broadcast route-broadcast-signal packets in procedure 4 of Algorithm 2. The initial broadcasting range is δ m. (In our computational implementation, we use .) If a CH with initial state receives a route-broadcast-signal packet, it transmits ACK to the CH that sent a route-broadcast-signal packet. If a CH with route broadcasting state does not receive any ACKs during given time interval, it extends the broadcasting range by δm repeatedly until the broadcasting range is wider than (width of the sensor field *). Within this broadcasting range, if a CH with route broadcasting state does not receive any ACK, it becomes a leaf CH of the intercluster routing tree. This route establishment method yields a spanning tree that includes all CHs. This spanning tree is built as a breadth-first search tree while the CHs exchange the route-broadcast-signal packets and ACKs. While the breadth-first search tree is made, a CH tries to include its neighbor CHs by increasing the broadcasting range δ when the CH does not receive any ACKs, which is a kind of stop-and-wait method.
4.4. Data Transmission Phase
Once the clusters and the intercluster routing tree have been created, information sensed by each sensor node is transmitted to the BS using data packets in the data transmission phase. The data transmission phase is divided into 2 steps: CM transmission step and CH transmission step.
In Algorithm 3, a CM transmits data packets, which are created by sensing the surroundings in each period, to its CH. Each CH aggregates the received data packets and transmits the aggregated data packet to the BS through the route that is set in the intercluster routing phase. Sensing and data transmission of each sensor node are repeated during one round.
5. Smart Mechanisms and Computational Experiments of SOSAC
5.1. Smart Mechanisms in SOSAC
5.1.1. Smart Fitness Value Adaptability Mechanism
The most important factor affecting the clustering performance is the CH selection method. SOSAC uses the following fitness comparison procedure to select the appropriate CHs.
First, check the location of each node with CH candidate state for the fitness value. SOSAC uses the number of the received CH-candidate-signal packets to check the appropriateness of the location of a sensor node. In other words, each node with CH candidate state collects information on the locations of some neighboring nodes with CH candidate state (in the same cluster) as the number of received CH-candidate-signal packets and transmits it to the neighboring sensor nodes to compare the number of CH-candidate-signal packets. A CH with many neighboring nodes with CH candidate state is considered as a good candidate for the CH of a cluster since it is located in the center of the cluster. Accordingly, SOSAC decides on the neighborhood degree fitness of each node with CH candidate state based on the ratio of the number of neighbors of v to the maximum number of neighbors of the cluster where the sensor node belongs to. This fitness value indicates the location appropriateness of the node with CH candidate in the current cluster. We define "neighborhood degree fitness" of a sensor node v that has CH candidate state of the cluster as follows. The "neighborhood degree fitness" consists of the first component of the fitness value. where clusteris the cluster that sensor node v belongs to, and α is the average ratio of remaining energy to initial energy of cluster.
Second, "energy state fitness" of a node with CH candidate state should be considered as the second component of the fitness value. Since CH consumes more energy than the CMs, SOSAC gives a priority to a node with CH candidate state that has more residual energy. Therefore, the energy state is used as the second component of the fitness value, and we define energy state fitness as follows:
Since each component of the two fitness components has values between 1 and 2, the values of the two fitness components are inherently normalized. Also we use α and 1− α as exponent parameters, each of which decides the weight of the respective fitness component. A total fitness value can be calculated by adding these two components together as follows.
If the total fitness value is to reflect the state of the networks, then it should be adjusted in a smart way to consider the change in the environment. In the beginning of networking, each sensor node has sufficient residual energy so that the energy state fitness is not very important. Therefore, the neighborhood degree fitness should be weighted more. This can be done by using the suggested total fitness value since the neighborhood degree fitness becomes more important than the energy state fitness as α remains relatively large. As time goes by, however, if the sensor nodes consume more energy, the scarcity of the energy state should be reflected. This can be done by using the suggested total fitness value since the energy state fitness becomes more important than the neighborhood degree fitness as (1− α) becomes large. Hence, SOSAC tries to achieve energy balance by increasing the weight of the energy state fitness.
For SOSAC implementation, we constructed a source code using Visual C++ of Visual Studio 2008 and conducted a computer simulation. The sensor field for the test was 50 m*50 m in size, and the simulation was carried out under the assumption that 100 sensor nodes with an initial energy of 0.5 J were distributed. The test used the average of the performances of the 10 different sensor distributions in the 50 m*50 m sensor field.
Figure 4 is an experiment to examine the effects of self-adjusting the weight α of the fitness value in a smart way. We compared the original SOSAC that self-adjusts the weights of the fitness value as time passes with three variations of SOSAC that are given with the fixed weights (0 : 1, 1 : 1, 1 : 0) of the two fitness value components. Here 0 : 1 means that SOSAC uses energy state fitness only, 1 : 1 that equal weights of two fitness value components are used, and 1 : 0 that SOSAC uses neighborhood degree fitness only.
In Figure 4, the Y axis indicates the network lifetime and the X axis indicates the ratio of weights. The network lifetime of the automatically adjusted SOSAC is longer than those of the fixed weight (0 : 1, 1 : 1, and 1 : 0) SOSACs. This experiment shows that SOSAC adjusts suitable weights by itself in a smart way rather than providing weight parameters as inputs.
5.1.2. Smart Adjustment of Broadcasting Range
Along with the selection of an appropriate CH in the hierarchical routing, deciding on the number and size of the clusters is one of the important factors that determines the energy consumption of the sensor nodes. In this section, we suggest a method for deciding the appropriate number and size of clusters.
The number of clusters in SOSAC is decided by the broadcasting range of the sensor nodes. As the broadcasting range widens, the number of sensor nodes with CH candidate states, which participate in the election of a CH, increases. Consequently, a large cluster is formed with fewer clusters and CHs. With the fewer CHs, the energy consumption of the CHs for transmitting data packets over a long distance is also reduced. However, because there are more CMs, the CH has to receive more data packets from them. Therefore, the energy consumption is greater when receiving the data packets in a large cluster. On the contrary, if the broadcasting range narrows, the number of clusters and CHs is increased due to the formation of small clusters. With an increasing number of CHs, the energy consumption for receiving is reduced, whereas the energy consumption of the CHs for transmission increases. Therefore, the broadcasting range of SOSAC must be optimized to increase the network lifetime of the WSNs.
Since we can enumerate many values for the broadcasting range of a sensor field in a computer simulation, it is not difficult to optimize the broadcasting range during computer simulation. However, it is impossible for the sensor nodes, which have poor calculation capability, to determine the optimized broadcasting range in real time in the sensor field. Hence we try to find the optimized broadcasting range as the function of the number of sensors that varies from 50 to 250 in the 50 m*50 m sensor field using computer simulations for SOSAC. Hence we make the following predictive formula that calculates the optimized broadcasting range. The formula (5) was made from the following nonlinear regression model that has the adjusted coefficient of determination = 0.977: where is the broadcasting range and the number of sensors in the sensor field.
If the sensor nodes sense the number of sensor nodes, an optimal broadcasting range can be adjusted in a smart way using the above formula, and the number of sensor nodes can be computed after the data packets are transmitted in the first round. In other words, respective CHs can determine the number of their CMs using the number of data packets transmitted by their CMs in the first period. This information is transmitted to the master CH through the intercluster routing, and the master CH can determine the number of sensor nodes scattered in the sensor field by summing them. Therefore, in the clustering phase of the first round of SOSAC, clusters are formed in the broadcasting range with the initial value to perform routing. When the first round is over, the master CH calculates an optimized broadcasting range and broadcasts this information to the entire sensor field so that all the sensor nodes can be adjusted in the optimized broadcasting range at the start of the second round.
Figure 5 compares the optimized broadcasting range calculated by an enumerative method without the smart adjustment mechanism with the network lifetime calculated with the smart adjustment mechanism. In Figure 5, the Y axis indicates the network lifetime when 20% of the sensor nodes have become drained in periods, and the X-axis shows five different experimental sizes. Figure 5 shows that the network lifetimes when SOSAC uses an optimized broadcasting range by finding an enumerative method are longer than those when SOSAC uses the smart adjustment mechanism of formula (5). In fact, the smart adjustment of the broadcasting range of formula (5) shows almost identical performance with the enumerative optimum values of the broadcasting range, which cannot be easily implemented in real WSNs. This demonstrates that the smart adjustment mechanism of predictive formula (5), which can be easily implemented in real WSNs, can provided good estimation of the optimal range of broadcasting range.
5.1.3. Smart Backup Mechanism
A WSN can be used in inaccessible and dangerous areas such as battlefields and hazardous regions. Also some of the WSN sensor nodes can be broken down by vicious physical attack or cyber-attack before their energy is used up. Therefore, the robustness of WSNs is important for dealing with potential problems such as breakdown, failure, or attack of the sensor nodes.
When cluster-based routing is used, all information on the clusters may be lost if the sensor nodes in the node with CH state have become drained or failed due to breakdown, failure, or attack. Transmission of the entire network may fail depending on the location of the CH on the tree in the intercluster routing.
In order to avoid these risks, SOSAC has a "smart backup mechanism" that allows all the CMs of each cluster to recognize their CH's states. If a CH losses its function unexpectedly, SOSAC has to select a new CH to minimize the transmission failures in the network. SOSAC can sense all CMs within its cluster range because it has to transmit the data packets that are broadcast by the CH to the CH of the neighboring cluster during intercluster routing. No additional overheads for sensing CHs or CMs are needed because the sensor nodes with CH state can be recognized depending on whether the data packets have been received or not. The smart backup mechanism of SOSAC selects a new CH when the CH has lost its function, and SOSAC needs overheads only to reconnect the network without using failed CHs. The smart backup mechanism is comprised of the following 2 steps: CH reelection step and rejoin intercluster routing tree step.
CH Reelection Step
The CH reelection step is carried out immediately when the CMs recognize a failure of the CH. In procedure 2.1 of Algorithm 4, the CMs broadcast the fitness values calculated in the previous CH selection step of clustering phase within 2*(broadcasting range) to restore the system as soon as possible when a CH failure occurs. Each CM compares the received fitness values with its own fitness value to select a new CH. The selected CH broadcasts the CH-signal packets (procedure 3). When the CMs receive the CH-signal packets, they select this CH as their new CH (procedure 4).
Rejoin Intercluster Routing Tree Step
All the CMs of the cluster assume that they can obtain information on the neighboring CHs on the intercluster routing tree of their own CH during the clustering step in the clustering phase. The new CH elected in procedures 5 and 6 of Algorithm 4 broadcasts a rejoin-signal packet to its neighboring CHs on the tree to restore the network to a stable state again. The smart backup mechanism of SOSAC is able to restore an unstable network to a stable state by using unused information without incurring additional overhead to the recognition of nodes with CH state.
The smart backup mechanism should be able to restore the network, not only if an error has occurred in the CH, but also if several sensor nodes have lost their functions in a certain concentrated area or sporadic failures of each sensor node in scattered areas. In order to check if the smart backup function works properly, we can conduct two types of experiments. The basic setting for the experiments is the same as the experiment for smart adaptability of the fitness value.
The first experiment observes how long the network is able to maintain itself in the event that all sensor nodes have lost their function to sense any objects within 10 m from a certain point by a physical or cyber error in a certain area. This experiment assumes that the sensor nodes within 10 m of the center of a coordinate which changes randomly have failed unexpectedly. In order to calculate an average value, we carried out the same experiments 10 times repeatedly and compared the average value with the normal state. To determine the occurrence of errors, we experimented with 3 cases of failure at the 501st, 1001st, and 1501st periods.
Figure 6 indicates that the earlier an error occurs, the shorter the network lifetime is. However, the maximum reduction rate of failure at the 501st period was only 1.8%, which reveals that the smart backup mechanism of SOSAC can cope with external errors in a smart way.
In the second experiment, we tested the result if 5, 10, or 15 sensor nodes stopped their functions sporadically in the WSNs in comparison with the result in the normal state.
Figure 7 implies that the occurrence of sporadic errors barely influenced the network lifetime by using a smart back up mechanism. The results of the two experiments show that the smart backup mechanism of SOSAC is a robust smart mechanism capable of coping with some changes in the external environment.
5.2. Performance Comparison with HEED
In this section, the performance of SOSAC is compared with that of HEED, which is a well-known self-organized clustering and routing method. HEED maintains or improves the network performance by comparing the previous dispersing type methods using the self-organized method. In constructing the source code and simulation for SOSAC and HEED, we used Visual C++ of Visual Studio 2008.
5.2.1. Network Lifetime Comparison
In this experiment, all the cases were compared, ranging from the case in which the network lifetime of the WSN ceases as the energy of the first sensor node is drained to the case in which the network lifetime of the WSN ceases as the energy of the 20th sensor node is drained.
Figure 8 shows that the network lifetime of SOSAC is between 61.7% (when the 1st sensor node is drained) and 8.5% (when the 20th sensor node is drained) longer than that of HEED. The network lifetimes until 20 sensor nodes had become drained were compared because it is impossible to observe the WSNs normally in the event that over 20% of the sensor nodes lose their functions due to the large vacuum in the sensing function.
We calculated the standard deviations of network lifetimes of SOSAC and HEED in Figure 9. On average, the standard deviation of SOSAC is 18.9% less than that of HEED, indicating that SOSAC shows more uniform performance than HEED.
5.2.2. Residual Energy Comparison
We compared the ratios of the residual energies in the WSNs to the network lifetimes of SOSAC and HEED.
In Figure 10, the Y-axis indicates the ratio of the residual energy in the WSN, and the X-axis indicates the number of drained sensor nodes. Figure 10 shows that the residual energy of SOSAC is between 16.9% and 52.7% shorter than that of HEED. The comparison of the two experiments (Figures 8 and 10) indicates that SOSAC has a longer network lifetime than HEED, and that the sensor nodes of SOSAC consume energy more uniformly than those of HEED when the network lifetime of WSNs ceases. This implies that SOSAC controls certain sensor nodes so as not to consume energy quickly by balancing the energy consumptions of the sensor nodes based on the appropriate fitness value, which gives a relatively long network lifetime.
5.2.3. Scalability Comparison
We compared network lifetimes of SOSAC and HEED for different size sensor fields and different numbers of sensor nodes, while maintaining the same density of sensor nodes. For example, the 100 m*100 m sensor field with 400 sensor nodes has four times as many as the 50 m*50 m sensor field that has only 100 sensor nodes. Here the network lifetime of the WSN is defined for the 20% of sensor nodes that are drained.
In Figure 11, the Y axis indicates the network lifetime in periods, and the X axis is the size of the sensor fields. Figure 11 shows that the network lifetime of SOSAC was a maximum of 10.7% and a minimum of 2.2% longer than the network lifetime of HEED in different sensor field sizes and different numbers of sensor nodes. Hence, SOSAC shows good scalability in a smart way, which enables it to form clusters suitable for different sensor field sizes.
6. Conclusion
This paper has proposed a hierarchical clustering and routing model capable of maximizing the network lifetime through the decisionmaking of each sensor node based on local information by adopting a self-organized and smart-adaptive system in the design of the clustering and routing model of a WSN. The proposed method enables the sensor nodes to form clusters without a server or any external assistance, and the subsequent routing is performed based on it. The key advantage of this model is its ability to sense any environmental disturbances such as time changes, number of sensor nodes, and failures of sensor nodes using three smart adaptive mechanisms. The proposed method also demonstrated superior performance compared to that of an existing self-organized clustering method.
A smart mechanism for WSNs that can cope with diverse changes in the environment needs to be developed in future study. Appropriate research examples are changes in the operation or mobile environment. In addition, research on self-organized and smart-adaptive communication methods for other communication networks holds the promise of valuable results in the near future.
This paper is the result of the research with the support of National Research Foundation of Korea (2009-0074081) using the funds from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in 2009.
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Comfort Food : Smoothies and Dips
Friday, April 15, 2011
It has been a busy week. Although I can't even figure out with what exactly. Being sick seems to make everything take three times as long. So with dishes, laundry, work and babysitting I'm mostly just ready for a nap.
When I'm feeling run down I try and up my produce intake. Green monsters definitely help with that.
In the mix was:
1/2 a banana
1/4 cup strawberries
2 cups spinach
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1.5 ounces avocado
I really thought I would have figured out what all foods I'm intolerant of, but things keep throwing me for a loop. I'm reacting to something, but I can't figure out what! So while my stomach freaks out, I've been eating a lot of smoothies.
I take the fruity ice cream and mix in some Greek yogurt.
I like smoothies that are super thick and creamy. Not icy, not watery. But blended to perfection.
Or when I'm more in the mood to chew I cut up some veggies for a quick snack. But veggies by themselves can be kinda boring. So dipping them in something can make it more fun! Sometimes I get lazy and just mix salsa into Greek yogurt for my veggie platter.
But one day when I was feeling better I experimented with a new recipe. I have had cashew sour cream before, but never attempted to make it myself. I actually used ideas from a few cashew crčme cheese recipes to create this.
Okay, it looks quite boring, no? But in reality it was delicious!!
First off I soaked some cashews.
Ugh, patience again? Why does every recipe require me to be so darn patient?
So I set these up in the morning before breakfast and then used them after working out.
Well actually, I only used one of these. The other one I was soaking for a different recipe which I'll write about later. (If you do this rinse and drain the nuts then add twice as much water as nuts and cover with something breathable like a cloth towel).
After they soaked, I rinsed and drained them and added them to my food processor to blend. Once they were mostly broken down I added 1 tbsp of lemon juice, ˝ tsp onion powder, ˝ tsp garlic powder, and Ľ tsp salt. Unfortunately it refused to become smooth.
That's when I added it to my magic bullet and added some water to try to help it blend. I was hoping for a much thicker consistency, but that's just another reason I have been trying to convince my husband that I need a vita-mix.
One day I'll get it, one day! I'm saving!!
When you aren't feeling top-notch what do you turn to for food? Comfort food? Fast and easy fixes?
Psst… recipe coming soon:
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I'm sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well. Those smoothies look really good! I gave the recipe for the Green Monster to my mom's boyfriend. He's having smoothies for breakfast now. We don't have a scale, so is 3 T equal to 1.5 oz of avocado? Do you like Rice Thins? I really do. I just bought some teriyaki flavored ones. They're gluten free. You're not allergic to something in the air, because it's spring, are you? That can make you pretty sick. I hope you get it figured out soon.
1897 days ago
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I just finished eating and now I am hungry again looking at all that yummy food.
1897 days ago
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Ok - I so got to try the cashew cream recipe - I have totally fell in love with cashews! I am with ya on the smoothies - not to thick, but not runny either! I am hoping for a magic bullet for mother's day maybe! I hate using my big blender for a little smoothie for breakfast! Keep posting recipes please! I have even posted references to your sparkpage to my friends! Have a great weekend!
1898 days ago
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how to use the CWGC Debt of Honour Register
Assess the value
of the above database compared with photographs
as valuable sources of historical information
research trails to find out about Commonwealth
citizens who died for their countries.
1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth
forces died in the two World Wars. One of the
services provided by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission is to keep records and registers containing
basic information about all those who lost their
lives. On their main website they have a search
facility so that you can enter a name, and other
known details, then, in seconds, you will see
all the commemorative information that is held
on the Debt of Honour Register. Look at the examples
to see what you can learn from the information
held on this database.
here for annotated search of Frank Smith from
the CWGC database
here for annotated search of Alfred Howard
Martin from the CWGC database
here for annotated search of A A Thorpe from the CWGC database
Look at the photographs carefully. Consider when
and why they may have been taken. Can you say
from which Commonwealth nation the servicemen
come and which war the photos show? Are they natural
photos or were they staged? Write down as much
information as you can about the people pictured
in each photo. Now go back through your list and
say and what can definitely be learned from a
photograph. How much of your information is pure
You are now going to compare photographic memories
with factual records.
The Debt of Honour Register supplies us with
historical facts, from which we can go on to draw
further conclusions. The photographs give us a
different type of information. Each source has
a place in putting together a complete picture
of someone. It's important to be aware of
what you can't find out from sources of
evidence as well as what you can. There is certainly
information that you will not be able to find
out from either source, which may need further
Now it's your turn to use the Debt
of Honour Register.
Go to the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission website at www.cwgc.org
You will see the search facility on
the front page. For help on how to
use the Debt of Honour Register click
here and print off the
Choose a name. At this stage it's
not important which name you use.
You could put in your own surname
and initials, and very often something
will come up that matches your request.
If you put in too many details there
is less chance of finding someone.
The search results may list several
pages of names.
Select a name, then print out
the Debt of Honour Register entry
that corresponds to your choice.
Now, using the examples already
studied for reference, write a profile
of your chosen person, including everything
that you can report from the information
given to you and the conclusions that
you can draw.
Additional Stories for Matters of Life
and Death available on the website
India – Second World War
Dodla Ranga Reddy, a brave pilot, who lost
his life saving a comrade.
Wales – First World War
Ellis Humphrey Evans (Hedd Wyn) a shepherd-poet
who died in the Battle of Passchendaele
Scotland - First World War
William Carson Mair, a young sailor who
was lost at sea on August 6th, 1914, one
of the very first Commonwealth casualties
of the war.
South Africa - Second World War
H.D. Freakes, a remarkable sportsman who
died in a flying accident
Trinidad - Second World War
James Hyde, a Spitfire pilot, shot down
in 1944
you a story you'd like us to tell? We are
always interested to hear about the people
commemorated by the CWGC and will be featuring
more examples in the future.
We're particularly interested in any individual
stories about men and women who served at
sea or with forces from India, Africa or
the Caribbean.
Contact us at cwgc.org
with a brief outline of your idea.


text:
We welcome your suggestions on What Does Name Taniia Mean. Suggest Meaning of Name Taniia.
If you know people with name Taniia or have name Taniia, please write down your opinion about "What is the meaning of my name Taniia".
List of Australian baby names, Australian baby boy names (male), girl names (female) & Australian names meanings has been compiled from various resources. Please use this list of Australian baby names only for reference/idea to name your kid/child. Database of baby names has been compiled from various references and suggestions provided by our web site visitors and resources partners.
Meaning of Taniia in Australian origin/culture for Girl name with history and fame details.


text:
A collection of poems originally posted in an anonymous blogsite.
A personal journey in poetry of a relentless soul fighting, coping and overcoming depression.
This book of poems is the first in a series. Each book of poems belonging to the series will have a corresponding book with a collection of short stories - fictionalized background stories behind the poem.
The collection of Paper Poems and Paper Short Stories will be culminated by a Paper Novel.
Accompany Paper´s odyssey in finding her way through the dark, guided by the light and love of family, friends and random acts of kindness in real life and in the cyberworld, all documented in poetry and prose.
A special first edition.
Comentario publicado.
Inicia sesión o crea una cuenta para publicar un comentario.


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Feb 19, 2013 8:05 AM
It's been a few years since we were in college, but that hasn't stopped us from being hungry and broke most of the time. That's why we figure the $5 A Meal College Cookbook ($9) is probably a sound purchase. It's packed with easy, wallet-friendly ways to keep ourselves off the ramen diet.
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:


text:
Feb. 3, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - All-Pac-10 gymnast Allyse Ishino talks about the origins of her memorable floor routine and some of the aspects that makes the Stanford women's gymnastics team so unique, and so good.
Q: You have a unique floor routine that you choreographed yourself and includes all the required elements over two tumbling passes rather than three. Are judges warming up to it?
A: I have the same routine I had last year and I actually scored better in our first meet this year. Hopefully, that's a sign that I am getting more respect for my two tumbling passes and my dance. I'm still working on an add, hopefully, by the end of the season. That will increase the difficulty of my routine in general. For now, it's the same routine and I scored higher. Hopefully, that's an indication of its acceptance.
Q: How did you come up with the moves?
A: (Coach) Kristen (Smyth) chose the music and I chose which version I wanted. When I do dancing and choreographing, I listen to the music and just start moving. It's a lot of trial and error type stuff. It took me a while to figure it out because I'm very particular about the moves. But she was the one who started the whole process.
Q: You said this is one of the most rewarding things you've ever done in gymnastics, to bring out that routine in front of the home crowd for the first time.
A: It definitely was, because floor is one of my favorite events. I love performing, I love dancing. I haven't been able to connect my tumbling passes and combine them with my dance until last year. When I first did it, I was really hesitant on my last pass -- and I made it, so that was like the best part. Combining all of that and performing in front of our home crowd was really exciting.
Q: How tough is it to get all those requirements into those two passes? How strong do you have to be to pull that off?
A: It wasn't too bad. I had to learn a new pass last year, but it wasn't too difficult to pick up. And then it was just building up endurance so I could end with a significantly more difficult pass at the end. Fortunately, my lead pass gives me a lot of bonus points.
Q: Last year, after health issues limited you early in your collegiate career, you've became a very durable gymnast. Do you feel as if your body is in tune right now?
A: I guess so. Knock on wood. The first two years were a little rough, but it taught me a lot about myself and how I work. I do feel as if I'm picking up where I left off last year.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in your fifth year?
A: Obviously, we want to win a national championship. I'll do everything I can to help us do that. That would be the greatest reward in the end. Just helping my teammates realize how fun this experience is. That's the most important thing, because they're going to remember that the rest of their lives. It's going to help them with everything they do. So, just taking the most out of every situation that we're put in and being thankful for the people we're around every day.
Q: How tough was the transition from elite gymnast to being part of a team dynamic, and how do you try to help those are going through that process for the first time?
A: It wasn't the greatest thing that I redshirted my freshman year, but I think I was able to learn it pretty quickly because I was able to take a step back and watch everyone. That was really great, being able to see the importance of all the little things that we do, like being there ready with hot packs and water, and moving mats. These are very simple things that are very important for the team, and cheering and stuff like that.
I think I picked it up pretty quickly. In helping other girls with the transition from elite to college, it's about being able to let go all the things you do as an elite - like doing a crazy amount of numbers and focusing too much on yourself. Just kind of telling them I've been in the same exact situation and it's way more fun to be part of a team. Also, let go of all that pressure, because, really all of your teammates have your back and they're ready to support you. You don't really have to worry about so much perfection. Just have a good time with your team. I think I learned that later on to not put so much pressure on myself. But the excitement of being on a team, I learned that my freshman year.
Q: Does that added dimension create a whole different feeling for the sport that you would have missed?
A: Definitely. It's not a bad thing that I had to redshirt my freshman year. It turned out pretty well.
Q: What does the team's early success mean in the long run?
A: We've been talking about how we're the most prepared we've ever been for our first meet. The fact that we did so well builds us up with so much confidence. We still have to work on it throughout the season, but we started at a very high point. So, building up from there will allow us to go even higher this season. Confidence is something that our team's always been working on, and sometimes lags a little bit. But having this starting point is really great for us, because at the end of the season when we go up against great teams like UCLA and SEC teams, we will have that confidence and that will help us to not doubt ourselves ever.
Q: What is the craziest workout you've ever seen here - importing the men's volleyball team to heckle you, moving the balance beam into the hallway with the rowers, or something else?
A: The heckling helps us a lot. Kristen usually changes things in different ways. Having the beam out in the hallway is interesting. It's not the same atmosphere we're used to. Even the temperature is different, it's cold out there. There are all these things around you. There's a skylight above you, so it's really bright.
Q: Does it help?
A: I think it does help. When you get to meets, you've done it any place you can think of with all these different noises like you've never heard. So, you pretty much know how to deal with all the distractions. Something we've done this year that we've never done is having someone lay underneath the beam while you do your routine. That was really big because everyone did a perfect series. This was not unusual except for the fact that we were able to do it with someone laying under us, which was pretty interesting and exciting.
Q: Did you have to lay under the beam?
A: I didn't, but talking to the people who were laying under the beam, you weren't scared at all because you knew they were going to make it. Them saying that shows how much trust we have in each other, which is great because that's something we've been working on, confidence and trust. We did that in preseason, right after Thanksgiving. It showed much we trusted each other and how confident we were in our work.
-- David Kiefer, Stanford Athletics


text:
Erik Rueda Design Lab is a multi-disciplinary practice that brings together passionate architects, craftsman, designers, and metallurgists to create architecture, buildings, and personalized pieces tailored to demanding standards of fit and finish.
One of our guiding principles is that we believe strongly in making architecture and design available to everyone. It should not be only for the well-to-do. Thought-out, well designed projects last, they are beautiful, and have the power to influence and effect daily life in such positive ways. They are timeless and personal. Above all, they are functional. This is what we strive for.
All of the furniture and cabinetry we craft is in our shop to exacting specifications from raw materials. Nothing is a "stock" item. Every piece is unique and personalized.
Erik developed his passion for craftsmanship and design as a young man working his way through University. It is this background of detail oriented, hand crafted, experience that manifests itself in all his work.
After pursuing a professional pilot program, with many hours in a cockpit, Erik spent time working for various builders as a finish carpenter and cabinet maker. It is there, working on fine custom homes along the North Shore coast of Massachusetts did he confirm his affinity for Architecture and Design.
Following his full time work, Erik attended Northeastern University's School of Architecture where he graduate with Honors, Magna Cum Laude. He was also a Distinguished Military Graduate, receiving his commission into the United States Army as an Engineer Officer. He is a recipient of the Deans award for the top student in Design for 2010. Erik also studied at the Rome Center for Architecture, Rome, Italy, with a focus on historical analysis and symbiosis of the old and new.
Amanda's approach to both architecture and interior design is holistic and highly personal. From the first broad strokes of design intention to accent lighting placement, each project is tailored to the experiences of the client and sensitive to it's surroundings.
Amanda's background began in residential interior design, from which she transitioned to architecture, receiving her degree from Northeastern University with a minor in Environmental Studies. She has past experience in both large and small architectural practices and has LEED accreditation as a Green Associate. Her interests lie in creating architecture that is both sensitive to it's surroundings as well as it's inhabitants, and maintaining that standard of care regardless of the size or scale of a project.
Matthew brings to the practice a wealth of materials experience and applied engineering. In metal fabrication and its application to architecture and furniture, his material science background allows us to create highly customized pieces with unique finishes and implementations.
Coming from the woods of New Hampshire, Matthew worked with his hands for years - logging, building, and crafting. Matthew studied Mechanical Engineering at MIT and rounded out his academic portfolio with a Masters in material science from MIT. He has worked in the oil fields of Alaska as a field engineer and has been part of research groups at MIT.


text:
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By NEWS SERVICE REPORTS
January 17, 2013 | Vol. 116 -- No. 39
FHallett Elementary announced its award winners for the months of November and December 2012. This month, students are focusing on the following character traits: Having a positive attitude, Always doing their best, Working together and Knowing the rules.
HAWK Award for Nov/Dec: Joseph Tyson, Shaellyn Deardorff, Kali Vio, Billy Neighbors, Kaitlyn Wiley, Shayley Taylor, River Harmon, Eliot Beal, Isaac Sweeney, Jonas Bovey, Riley Chiamulon, Sarah Firestone, Angel Mendez, Pebbles Choe, Jacob Whitehead, Jessica Beecher, Kamanakai Paikuli, Wahker Stout, Tori John, Carla Tikka, Nicholas Mason an...
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2007-08: Competed in novice eight and varsity eight ... First place in open novice division at Dallas SWEAT Erg Regatta ... Member of novice eight in dual race win over Creighton ... Fifth place in varsity eight at SIRA Regatta ... Second place in varsity eight and third in varsity four "A" at Midwest Intercollegiate Championships ... Named to C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.
PREP: Graduated from Rockford Lutheran High School in Rockford, Ill. ... letter winner in volleyball, basketball and softball ... captain of high school basketball team ... honor roll student ... member of the National Honor Society.
PERSONAL: Majoring in civil engineering with a minor in mathematics... hobbies include hanging out with friends, working out, listening to music... favorite athlete is Dwight Howard... her mom is the person she admires most... daughter of Lisa and Richard Hansing... has one sister, Cate.