Space-based communications systems to be employed by future artificial satellites, or spacecraft during exploration missions, can potentially benefit from software-defined radio adaptation capabilities. Multiple communication requirements could potentially compete for radio resources, whose availability of which may vary during the spacecraft's operational life span. Electronic components are prone to failure, and new instructions will eventually be received through software updates. Consequently, these changes may require a whole new set of near-optimal combination of parameters to be derived on-the-fly without instantaneous human interaction or even without a human in-the-loop. Thus, achieving a sufficiently set of radio parameters can be challenging, especially when the communication channels change dynamically due to orbital dynamics as well as atmospheric and space weather-related impairments. This dissertation presents an analysis and discussion regarding novel algorithms proposed in order to enable a cognition control layer for adaptive communication systems operating in space using an architecture that merges machine learning techniques employing wireless communication principles. The proposed cognitive engine proof-of-concept reasons over time through an efficient accumulated learning process. An implementation of the conceptual design is expected to be delivered to the SDR system located on the International Space Station as part of an experimental program. To support the proposed cognitive engine algorithm development, more realistic satellite-based communications channels are proposed along with rain attenuation synthesizers for LEO orbits, channel state detection algorithms, and multipath coefficients function of the reflector's electrical characteristics. The achieved performance of the proposed solutions are compared with the state-of-the-art, and novel performance benchmarks are provided for future research to reference.

Satellites are some of the most difficult links to exploit in a Quality of Service (QoS) sensitive network, largely due to their high latency, variable-bandwidth and low-bandwidth nature. Central management of shared links has been shown to provide efficiency gains and enhanced QoS by effectively allocating resources according to reservations and dynamic resource availability. In a modern network, segregated by secure gateways and tunnels such as provided by IPsec, central management appears impossible to implement due to the barriers created between a global Dynamic Bandwidth Resource Allocation (DBRA) system and the mediators controlling the individual flows. This thesis explores and evaluates various through-IPsec communications techniques aimed at providing a satellite-to-network control channel, while maintaining data security for all communications involved.

The increase in irrigated agriculture in Saudi Arabia is having a large impact on its limited groundwater resources. While large-scale water storage changes can be estimated using satellite data, monitoring groundwater abstraction rates is largely non-existent at either farm or regional level, so water management decisions remain ill-informed. Although determining water use from space at high spatiotemporal resolutions remains challenging, a number of approaches have shown promise, particularly in the retrieval of crop water use via evaporation. Apart from satellite-based estimates, land surface models offer a continuous spatial-temporal evolution of full land-atmosphere water and energy exchanges. In this study, we first examine recent trends in terrestrial water storage depletion within the Arabian Peninsula and explore its relation to increased agricultural activity in the region using satellite data. Next, we evaluate a number of large-scale remote sensing-based evaporation models, giving insight into the challenges of evaporation retrieval in arid environments. Finally, we present a novel method aimed to retrieve groundwater abstraction rates used in irrigated fields by constraining a land surface model with remote sensing-based evaporation observations. The approach is used to reproduce reported irrigation rates over 41 center-pivot irrigation fields presenting a range of crop dynamics over the course of one year. The results of this application are promising, with mean absolute errors below 3 mm:day-1, bias of -1.6 mm:day-1, and a first rough estimate of total annual abstractions of 65.8 Mm3 (close to the estimated value using reported farm data, 69.42 Mm3). However, further efforts to address the overestimation of bare soil evaporation in the model are required. The uneven coverage of satellite data within the study site allowed us to evaluate its impact on the optimization, with a better match between observed and obtained irrigation rates on fields with higher frequency of available data. The inclusion of novel remote sensing sources (e.g. CubeSats) that offer higher frequencies and higher resolution can also be explored to improve the methodology, although further validation of these systems is needed. The developed framework has the potential to be used as a water management tool to monitor groundwater losses over large remote regions.

Pericentriolar satellites (PS) are electron dense granules surrounding the centrosome, the major microtubule-organizing centre in eukaryotic cells. In cycling cells the centrosome promotes spindle assembly and the faithful execution of mitosis. In non-cycling cells it is involved in forming the cilium, a plasma membrane-resident organelle, which mediates crucial signalling pathways in development and tissue homeostasis. PS are thought to contribute to centrosome formation, through the microtubule-dependent transport of centrosome components, and they are involved in ciliogenesis and stress response. Moreover, several proteins that localize to PS are mutated in human ciliopathies and neurodevelopmental disorders. The precise roles of PS in the various molecular pathways and diseases are however poorly understood, in part due to the limited knowledge of their composition. In the first part of my study I performed a comprehensive analysis of the pericentriolar satellite proteome. This was achieved by sucrose sedimentation of PS, combined with affinity purification of a key PS component, PCM1. To eliminate contamination by centrosomes, the PS proteome was determined from wild-type cells as well as from two cell lines genetically engineered to lack centrosomes. Mass spectrometry identified 170 PS components including most of the previously described PS proteins, confirming the validity of the approach. Having determined the proteomic composition of PS from DT40 cells, I then performed validation studies both in chicken and human cell lines. In the second part of my study, I aimed to use the list of PS proteins to uncover new biological roles for pericentriolar satellites. I devised two distinct approaches to gain functional insights. First, I generated a cell line lacking PCM1 as a tool to study the role(s) of PS and PS components. Second, I performed loss-of-function studies on a set of new PS proteins to determine their function(s) in maintaining the canonical PS distribution and in forming primary cilia.

[pt] As Redes de Acesso em Banda Larga utilizando Sistemas VSAT e WiFi são uma forma de atender à demanda por informação a todo tempo e lugar; demanda esta que tem se tornado a grande mudança nos últimos tempos no meio das Telecomunicações. O acesso à informação passa a ser exigido nas mais longínquas localidades, onde a infra-estrutura terrestre se mostra quase que totalmente ausente. Aí se enquadram as redes VSAT (Very Small Apperture Terminal) que permitem este acesso através de uma rede via satélite capaz de oferecer cobertura à grandes dimensões geográficas. Da mesma forma, a informação precisa ser obtida a todo tempo, e desta maneira, as redes WiFi se apresentam como a forma com que o usuário pode ter a informação mesmo enquanto aguarda seu vôo no saguão de um aeroporto, ou enquanto desfruta de um jantar em um restaurante, ou no caso de corporações que procuram agilizar a difusão dos dados entre seus profissionais através da mobilidade. Este trabalho procura portanto, estudar as características dos sistemas e da propagação das ondas rádio para as redes VSAT em banda Ku e Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) nas faixas de 2,4GHz e 5,2GHz em ambientes abertos (outdoors) e fechados (indoors); propor o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia de planejamento de projeto de redes VSAT-WiFi e sua aplicação em um caso prático, o que permite a conclusão de que um correto planejamento de projeto deve ser executado para que resultados eficientes e de qualidade possam ser alcançados. / [en] Broadband Network Access using VSAT and WiFi Systems are one way to attend the demand for information in every time and place; where this demand, has been turning into a big change in Telecomunications´ field. The access to information starts to be required in the farthest places, where the terrestrian infra-estructure shows itself almost totally missed. It´s included the VSAT networks (Very Small Apperture Terminal) that offer access for information through a capable satellite network that gives coverage to huge geographic areas. By the same way, the information has got to be gathered at any time and this way, WiFi networks shows itself as the way the user can obtain information, even if while waiting his flight at the airport, or while enjoying a dinner in a restaurant, or in the case of corporations making faster the data sending among their professionals through mobility. The goals of this dissertation are the study of systems characteristics and propagation of the radio waves for the VSAT (Ku band) and Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) networks (2,4GHz and 5,2GHz) in outdoors and indoors areas; the development of a methodology to planning projects for VSAT-WiFi networks and its application in a study case that permits a conclusion of a correct project planning must be done to efficient and good results can be reached.

No description available.

Myostatin, a TGF-β superfamily member, is a key negative regulator of embryonic and postnatal muscle growth. In order to further elucidate the role of myostatin during postnatal growth, several lines of investigation were undertaken in mice. Analysis of myostatin downstream target genes identified several known and unknown genes. From these, the regulation of an androgen receptor binding co-factor, ARA70, was selected for further investigation. Reverse Northern analysis on the differentially expressed cDNA library indicated an increased expression of ARA70 in myostatin-null muscles, which was later confirmed by Northern blot and semi-quantitative PCR analysis. In corroboration, treatment of myoblast cultures with exogenous myostatin resulted in the down-regulation of ARA70, confirming that myostatin is a negative regulator of ARA70 gene expression. The role of myostatin during sarcopenia, a progressive age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, was also investigated. The atrophy associated with sarcopenia is frequently correlated with insufficient muscle regeneration, resulting from an impaired propensity of satellite cells to activate and a subsequent decline in myogenesis. Myostatin is a known inhibitor of postnatal satellite cell activation and muscle regeneration, thus muscle mass and regeneration, and satellite cell behaviour were examined in young and aged myostatin-null mice. Myostatin-null mice had increased individual muscle weights, as a consequence of massive fibre hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and an increased proportion of type IIB fibres. Aging induced oxidative fibre type changes and atrophy in the wild-type muscle while no fibre type switching was observed in the myostatin-null muscle and atrophy was minimal. No decrease in satellite cell numbers was observed with aging in both genotypes; though a gradual decline in the number of activated satellite cells was noted during aging. However, both young and aged myostatin-null mice displayed increased satellite cells and activation compared to wild-type mice, suggesting a greater myogenic potential in the myostatin-null satellite cells. Consistent with this, aged myostatin-null myoblasts proliferated faster and displayed a higher fusion index during differentiation than the aged wild-type myoblasts, confirming that the reduced sarcopenia in the myostatin-null mice was due to a preserved increase in the myoblast myogenic activity. An increase in a Pax7-only myoblast population from myostatin-null muscle indicated an enhanced satellite cell self-renewal process, consistent with the increased satellite cell number observed on the myostatin-null muscle fibres. Additionally, muscle regeneration of aged myostatin-null muscle following notexin injury was accelerated, and fibre hypertrophy and type were recovered with regeneration, unlike the aged wild-type muscle. Testing the therapeutic value of a myostatin antagonist, Mstn-ant1, indicated that a short term blockade of myostatin by the antagonist significantly enhanced muscle regeneration in aged mice after injury and during sarcopenia. Antagonism of myostatin led to satellite cell activation, increased Pax7 and MyoD protein levels, and greater myoblast and macrophage cell migration culminating in enhanced muscle regeneration in the aged mice. In conclusion, the hypertrophic phenotype associated with myostatin-null mice may in part result from increased androgen receptor (AR) activity due to the up-regulation of ARA70, given that increased expression of the AR leads to hypertrophy. Additionally, the increased muscle mass in myostatin-null mice is likely to result from an augmented myogenic potential and self-renewal process. Overall, a prolonged absence of myostatin reduced sarcopenia and the associated loss of muscle regenerative capacity. Furthermore, the antagonism of myostatin displayed significant therapeutic potential in the alleviation of sarcopenia, through the restoration of the myogenic and inflammatory responses in the aged environment. Thus, the research work clearly demonstrates the role of myostatin in sarcopenia, and documents for the first time a valid therapeutic for alleviating sarcopenia.

This dissertation presents a novel satellite timekeeping system which does not require on-board atomic clocks as used by existing navigation satellite systems such as GPS, GLONASS or the planned GALILEO system. This concept is differentiated by the employment of a synchronization framework combined with lightweight steerable on-board clocks which act as transponders re-broadcasting the precise time remotely provided by the time synchronization network located on the ground. This allows the system to operate optimally when satellites are in direct contact with the ground station, making it suitable for a system like the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, QZSS. Low satellite mass and low satellite manufacturing and launch cost are significant advantages of this novel system. Two possible implementations of the time synchronization network for QZSS are presented. Additionally, the problem of satellite communication interruption is analyzed and a solution is presented. Finally a positioning and timing quality analysis, aimed to provide understanding of the actual timing quality requirements for QZSS, is presented.

Les architectures satellitaires actuelles pour distribution de services interactifs IP et la connectivité large bande sont basées sur les principes en couches du modèle de référence OSI. Il ne fait aucun doute que l'approche classique basée sur la résolution de problèmes spécifiques à chaque couche dans le cadre du modèle de référence a été très fructueuse jusqu'à aujourd'hui. De nombreux protocoles ont été adaptés aux environnements satellite, et les couches physiques actuelles opèrent près de leurs limites théoriques de performance grâce à l'état très avancé des techniques de modulation et de codage. Cependant, les caractéristiques uniques des transmissions par satellite font que de nombreux et importants problèmes tels que la transparence de la mobilité, le respect des niveaux de services négociés ou la fiabilisation à grande échelle des communications point à multipoint n'ont pas encore trouvé de solutions satisfaisantes dans le cadre de l'approche traditionnelle en couches. L'approche modulaire n'appréhende que moyennement les interactions complexes qui existent entre les couches ainsi que celles avec le médium sans fil, et de ce fait le design actuel fait apparaître des redondances et inefficacités affectant les performances globales. De nombreux chercheurs ont donc commencé à aborder ces différents problèmes de manière holistique, en mettant l'accent sur les avantages potentiels d'une collaboration entre couches au-delà du modèle de référence. La flexibilité résultant d'échanges accrus entre les différentes couches offre en effet de riches possibilités d'optimisation globales, favorisant une meilleure intégration des satellites dans un environnement réseau de plus en plus hétérogène. Cette "optimisation multi-couches" apparaît aujourd'hui comme un domaine de recherche très prometteur pour les communications satellitaires et sans fil en général. Elle se caractérise par une approche pluridisciplinaire mêlant différents aspects de la théorie de l'information, du design de protocoles réseau et du traitement du signal avancé. Force est de constater que de nombreuses techniques multi-couches récemment proposées ont commencé à traiter avec succès quelques uns des problèmes énumérés auparavant, ce qui explique que nombreux protocoles, standards et systèmes de nouvelle génération ont déjà commencé à intégrer ces principes de facto. Cette thèse aborde les problèmes liés à la fiabilité des transmissions satellitaires depuis la perspective de l'optimisation multi-couches. S'agissant d'un aspect crucial des communications satellitaires ayant des implications à presque tous les niveaux de la communication - tels que la qualité de service, la complexité des terminaux ou l'utilisation du spectre - le contrôle des erreurs est sans doute l'une des thématiques satellite où les techniques multi-couche peuvent jouer un rôle important. Après une introduction dédiée aux techniques multi couche en général, la première partie de ce travail s'intéresse à la stratégie de contrôle des erreurs des satellites DVB de première génération, où sont identifiées des redondances liées à une gestion inefficace du problème par le décodeur canal et les couches d'adaptation. Une solution basée sur une approche multi-couche réduisant ces inefficacités et améliorant l'utilisation des ressources est alors proposée. Dans un deuxième temps, nous nous consacrons au standard satellite DVB de nouvelle génération et à la définition de GSE, sa nouvelle couche d'adaptation pour IP. Nous montrons comment GSE intègre de nombreux concepts multi-couches, parmi lesquels ceux liés à une gestion des erreurs basée sur les considérations de la première partie de ce travail. La troisième et dernière partie de ce travail présente HERACLES. Ce nouveau mécanisme multi-couches permet d'apporter des capacités accrues de correction d'erreurs et de synchronisation paquets à tout système de communication par paquets sans consommation supplémentaire de bande. HERACLES a été entièrement développé dans le cadre de cette thèse et a fait l'objet de deux brevets récents. Les résultats globaux de ce travail montrent les possibilités offertes par l'approche multi-couches au problème du contrôle des erreurs, et ouvrent d'excellentes perspectives de déploiement dans les réseaux futurs.

La thèse s'intéresse au problème de la gestion de la fiabilité dans les réseaux par satellite basés sur la norme de diffusion DVB-S, pour des applications multipoints. En raison de possibles fluctuations des conditions de propagation, le service offert par le lien satellite n'est pas garanti. Le cas échéant, il doit être complété par un service de niveau transport, contraint à limiter l'utilisation de la voie de retour en raison du nombre potentiellement élevé de récepteurs. La première problématique étudiée concerne les concepts à envisager pour concevoir une architecture protocolaire appropriée. L'architecture prévoit de reconsidérer l'utilisation des contrôles d'intégrité des données, et de renforcer la fiabilité sur les en-têtes des différentes couches protocolaires. Ce mécanisme est appelé Multi Protocol Header Protection. La réalisation de ces concepts est également étudiée. Elle est proposée dans le cadre de la méthode Ultra Lightweight Encapsulation permettant la livraison de datagrammes IP par les réseaux DVB. L'exploitation de l'architecture pour deux services de fiabilité est ensuite discutée au niveau des protocoles de transport. Le premier service, appelé fiabilité binaire non contrôlée, peut être offert pour des applications tolérantes aux erreurs binaires. Des simulations démontrent l'intérêt de l'architecture pour ce service. Pour un service de fiabilité totale, l'élaboration d'un procédé de fiabilisation adapté à l'architecture est étudiée. Le procédé fait intervenir un algorithme de décodage FEC adapté. L'évaluation globale de l'approche estime que pour un service identique, 5 à 30 fois moins de données peuvent être économisées comparativement à une architecture conventionnelle.