Improving Content Delivery Efficiency through Multi-Layer Mobile Edge Adaptation

This paper presents a novel architecture for optimizing the HTTP-based multimedia delivery in multi-user mobile networks. This proposal combines the usual client-driven dynamic adaptation scheme DASH-3GPP with network-assisted adaptation capabilities, in order to maximize the overall Quality of Experience. The foundation of this combined adaptation scheme is based on two state of the art technologies. On one hand, adaptive HTTP streaming with multi-layer encoding allows efficient media delivery and improves the experienced media quality in highly dynamic channels. Additionally, it enables the possibility to implement network-level adaptations for better coping with multi-user scenarios. On the other hand, mobile edge computing facilitates the deployment of mobile services close to the user. This approach brings new possibilities in modern and future mobile networks, such as close to zero delays and awareness of the radio status. The proposal in this paper introduces a novel element, denoted as Mobile Edge-DASH Adaptation Function, which combines all these advantages to support efficient media delivery in mobile multi-user scenarios. Furthermore, we evaluate the performance enhancements of this content- and user context-aware scheme through simulations of a mobile multimedia scenario.

Combination of web usage, content and structure information for diverse web mining applications in the tourism context and the context of users with disabilities

188 p.

The content of the form of Julia Alvarezs In the time of the butterflies

In the Time of the Butterflies é um romance da escritora dominicana-americana Julia Alvarez sobre a vida e a morte das Borboletas, Las Mariposas, codinome das irmãs Mirabal, membros de um movimento clandestino contra o regime ditatorial de Rafael Leonidas Trujillo na República Dominicana, que se tornaram símbolos da luta contra o Trujillato depois de serem assassinadas a mando do ditador. Essa dissertação tem como objetivo expor como forma literária e contexto social estão diretamente relacionados nesse romance. Ela defende a ideia de que o borramento de três gêneros literários distintos metaficção historiográfica, autobiografia e bildungsroman reflete o questionamento das fronteiras entre o privado e o público, o pessoal e o político, o eu e o outro, o individual e o coletivo, a literatura e a história, fato e ficção e história e subjetividade. Ela também tenta mostrar como a problematização dessas dicotomias implica na contestação de noções pré-concebidas de identidade, história e nação

The brine and gas content of sea ice with attention to low salinities and high temperatures

Based on the well known sea ice phase diagram, equations are derived for determining the brine and gas content of sea Ice for high temperatures (range 0 to -2 °C) and low salinities. The presently widely used equations of Cox and Weeks (1982) are valid only for temperatures below -2°C. Fresh-water ice is used as a boundary condition for the equations. The relative salt concentrations in brine are_assumed to be the same as in normal (or standard) seawater. Two sets of equations are presented: 1) accurate formulae based on UNESCO standard sea water equations, and 2) approximate formulae based on general properties of weak solutions. The approximate formulae are not essentially different from the classical system which basically assumes the freezing point to be a linear function of fractional salt content. The agreement between the two approaches is excellent and the approximate system is good enough for most applications.

Produção de carotenoides em culturas in vitro de Cleome rosea Vahl ex DC (Capparaceae) e avaliação de sua toxicidade e potencial antioxidante

A produção e a otimização de substâncias de valor medicinal têm sido alcançadas pelo uso das técnicas de cultura de tecidos vegetais, que têm apresentado grande relevância quando se considera o status de conservação de uma espécie ou sua ocorrência em ambientes ameaçados. No presente trabalho foi avaliada a produção de carotenoides em culturas de calos e células em suspensão de Cleome rosea Vahl ex DC, espécie nativa encontrada em áreas de restinga nos estados do Rio de Janeiro e de São Paulo. Plantas micropropagadas obtidas a partir de raízes produzidas in vitro foram usadas como fonte de explantes para o início das culturas de calos. A produção de massa calogênica foi avaliada em meio MS suplementado com diferentes concentrações das auxinas ácido 2,4-diclorofenoxiacético e ácido 4-amino- 3,5,6-tricloropicolínico, na presença de luz ou no escuro. O uso de diferentes meios básicos de cultura (B5, Nitsch, White) também foi avaliado. A calogênese foi induzida em todos os tratamentos, entretanto a maior produção de biomassa foi alcançada pelas culturas mantidas na presença de luz. A maior produção de massa calogênica foi obtida em culturas iniciadas no meio MS suplementado com 0,2 mg.L-1 de 2,4-D. A exposição das culturas à luz foi um fator essencial para a produção de carotenoides, que só ocorreu nas culturas mantidas nessa condição. Culturas de calos foram submetidas a tratamentos com substâncias elicitoras (extrato de levedura, metil jasmonato, quitosana) em diferentes concentrações e por um período de exposição de sete ou 14 dias visando otimizar a produção do pigmento. A maior produção de carotenoides nas culturas elicitadas foi alcançada com o tratamento com metil jasmonato (MJ) na concentração de 300 μM, independentemente do tempo de exposição ao elicitor. Análises cromatográficas mostraram que o processo de elicitação com MJ induziu ao aumento na produção de β-caroteno. Calos elicitados nessa condição foram usados para iniciar culturas de células em suspensão (CCS). Estas culturas foram acompanhadas por três subculturas realizadas a cada 20 dias, durante a fase exponencial de crescimento. Embora as CCS tenham mantido uma produção de biomassa constante ao longo das subculturas, os valores de produção de carotenoides foram inferiores àqueles alcançados pelas culturas de calos e não houve diferenças estatísticas significativas quando comparadas às CCS iniciadas a partir de calos não elicitados. Extratos de calos produzidos em meio MS suplementado com 0,2 mg.L-1 de 2,4-D foram avaliados quanto à sua capacidade antioxidante por meio da incubação dos extratos com DNA plasmidial em presença de cloreto estanoso (SnCl2), um potente agente redutor capaz de produzir quebras na molécula de DNA. Os extratos foram avaliados em concentrações crescentes (25 - 500 μg.mL-1) e apresentaram uma proteção dose dependente à ação do SnCl2. Estudos de toxicidade com o modelo de Artemia salina demonstraram que os extratos não apresentaram toxicidade nas concentrações avaliadas. Os resultados alcançados mostram que a elicitação foi eficiente para a otimização da produção de β-caroteno nas culturas in vitro e que os extratos obtidos a partir desses materiais apresentaram atividade antioxidante, indicando o êxito das técnicas de cultura de tecidos para a produção deste metabólito sob condição in vitro.

Effect of PbCl2 addition on structure, OH- content, and upconversion luminescence in Yb3+/Er3+-codoped germanate glasses

Yb3+/ Er3+-codoped oxychloride germanate glasses have been synthesized by a conventional melting and quenching method. Structural properties were obtained based on Raman-spectra investigation, indicating that PbCl2 plays an important role in the formation of the glass network and has an important influence on the phonon density and the maximum phonon energy. The Judd - Ofelt intensity parameters and quantum efficiencies were calculated based on the Judd - Ofelt theory and lifetime measurements. The enhanced upconversion luminescence intensity of Er3+ with increasing PbCl2 content could not be explained only by the maximum phonon-energy change of the host glasses. For the first time, the effect of PbCl2 addition on phonon density, OH- content, and upconversion luminescence in oxychloride glasses has been discussed and evaluated. The results show that the effect of phonon density and OH- content on upconversion luminescence in oxychloride glasses is much stronger than that of the decrease of the maximum phonon energy. The possible upconversion luminescence mechanisms have also been estimated and are discussed.

Investigation of the effect of fluoride ions introduction on structural, OH- content and up-conversion luminescence properties in Er3+-doped heavy metal oxide glasses

Effect of fluoride ions introduction on structural, OH- content and up-conversion luminescence properties in Er3+-doped heavy metal oxide glasses have been investigated. Structure was investigated, indicating that fluoride has an important influence on the phonon density, maximum phonon energy of host glasses. With increasing fluoride content, the up-conversion luminescence intensity and quantum efficiencies increase notably, which could not be explained only by the maximum phonon energy change of host glasses. Our results show that, with the introduction of PbF2, the decrease of phonon density and OH- content contributes more to the enhanced up-conversion emissions than that of maximum phonon energy. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of water content in sol on optical properties of hybrid sol-gel derived TiO2/SiO2/ormosil film

Sol-gel derived TiO2/SiO2/ormosil hybrid planar waveguides have been deposited on soda-lime glass slides and silicon substrates, films were heat treated at 150 degreesC for 2 h or dried at room temperature. Different amounts of water were added to sols to study their impacts on microstructures and optical properties of films. The samples were characterized by m-line spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV/VIS/NIR spectrophotometer (UV-vis), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermal analysis instrument and scattering-detection method. The refractive index was found to have the largest value at the molar ratio H2O/OR = 1 in sol (OR means -OCH3, -OC2H5 and -OC4H9 in the sol), whereas the thickest film appears at H2O/OR = 1/2. The rms surface roughness of all the films is lower than 1.1 nm, and increases with the increase of water content in sol. Higher water content leads to higher attenuation of film. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative investigation of up-conversion luminescence in Tm3+-doped oxide-chloride germanate and tellurite glasses

Tm3+-doped oxide-chloride germanate and tellurite glasses have been synthesized by conventional melting method. Intense up-conversion luminescence emissions were simultaneously observed at room temperature in these glasses. The possible up-conversion mechanisms are discussed and estimated. However, in these Tm3+-doped glasses, tellurite glass showed weaker up-conversion emissions than germanate glass, which is inconsistent with the prediction from the difference of maximum phonon energy between tellurite and germanate glasses. In this paper, Raman spectroscopy was employed to investigate the origin of the difference in up-conversion luminescence in the two glasses. Our results confirm that, besides the maximum phonon energy, the phonon density of host glasses is also an important factor in determining the up-conversion efficiency. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of OH- content on emission properties in Er3+-doped tellurite glasses

A series of tellurite glasses of composition, 75TeO(2)-20ZnO-(5 - x)La2O3-xEr(2)O(3) (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mol%) with different hydroxl content were prepared. The effect of Er3+ and OH- groups concentration on the emission properties of Er3+: I-4(13/2) -> I-4(15/2) transition in tellurite glasses was investigated. The constant KOH-Er for Er3+ in tellurite glasses, which represents the strength of interaction between Er3+ and OH- groups in the case of energy migration, was about 14 x 10(-19) cm(4) s(-1). The interaction parameter C-Er,C-Er for the migration rate of Er3+ : 4I(13/2) -> I-4(13/2) transition in tellurite glass was 46 x 10(-40) cm(2), which indicates that concentration quenching in Er3+-doped modified tellurite glass for a given Er3+ concentration is much stronger than in silicate and phosphate glasses. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of chloride substitution on the chemical and physical properties and the crystallization behavior in heavy metal fluoride glasses

Effect of the substitutions of chloride for fluoride on the chemical and physical properties and the crystallization behavior in heavy metal fluoride glasses has been investigated. The characteristic temperature of the glass does not changed obviously when the fluoride was taken place by chloride. Compared with samples of being free of ErF3, the doping samples are more inclined to be surface crystallization. Optical basicity in the glass system increases with increasing the negative charge provided by the chloride atoms and the absorption peak red shifted is observed in absorption spectra. XRD measurements show that not a single crystalline phase appears in the heated glass samples, which indicate the substitutions of chloride for fluoride with a variety of crystalline precipitation trends. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Effect of Al(PO3)(3) content on physical, chemical and optical properties of fluorophosphate glasses for 2 mu m application

The effect of Al(PO3)(3) content on physical, chemical and optical properties of fluorophosphate glasses for 2 mu m application, such as thermal stability, chemical durability, surface hardness, absorption spectra and emission spectra, is investigated. With the increment of Al(PO3)(3) content, the thermal stability characterized by the gap of T-g and T,, increases first and then decreases, and reaches the maximum level containing 5 mol% Al(PO3)(3) content. The density and chemical durability decrease monotonously with the introduction of Al(PO3)(3) content increasing, while the refractive index and surface hardness increase. Above properties of fluorophosphate glasses are also compared with fluoride glasses and phosphate glasses. The Judd-Ofelt parameters, absorption and emission cross sections are discussed based on the absorption spectra of Tm-doped glasses. The emission spectra are also measured and the 1.8 mu m fluorescence of the sample is obvious indicating that it is suitable to 2 mu m application. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.