Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) controller realization with Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) modules

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a system where a digital television service is delivered by using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure. There is considerable confusion and concern about the IPTV, since two different technologies have to be mended together to provide the end customers with some thing better than the conventional television. In this research, functional architecture of the IPTV system was investigated. Very Large Scale Integration based system for streaming server controller were designed and different ways of hosting a web server which can be used to send the control signals to the streaming server controller were studied. The web server accepts inputs from the keyboard and FPGA board switches and depending on the preset configuration the server will open a selected web page and also sends the control signals to the streaming server controller. It was observed that the applications run faster on PowerPC since it is embedded into the FPGA. Commercial market and Global deployment of IPTV were discussed.

Modeling communication services for rapid realization

The availability and pervasiveness of new communication services, such as mobile networks and multimedia communication over digital networks, has resulted in strong demands for approaches to modeling and realizing customized communication systems. The stovepipe approach used to develop today's communication applications is no longer effective because it results in a lengthy and expensive development cycle. To address this need, the Communication Virtual Machine (CVM) technology has been developed by researchers at Florida International University. The CVM technology includes the Communication Modeling Language (CML) and the platform, CVM, to model and rapidly realize communication models. ^ In this dissertation, we investigate the basic communication primitives needed to capture and specify an end-user's requirements for communication-intensive applications, and how these specifications can be automatically realized. To identify the basic communication primitives, we perform a feature analysis on a set of communication-intensive scenarios from the healthcare domain. Based on the feature analysis, we define a new version of CML that includes the meta-model definition (abstract syntax and static semantics) and a partial behavior model (operational semantics). To validate our CML definition, we present a case study that shows how one of the scenarios from the healthcare domain is modeled and automatically realized. ^

Realization of Differentiated Quality of Service for Wideband Code Division Multiple Access Core Network

The development of 3G (the 3rd generation telecommunication) value-added services brings higher requirements of Quality of Service (QoS). Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) is one of three 3G standards, and enhancement of QoS for WCDMA Core Network (CN) becomes more and more important for users and carriers. The dissertation focuses on enhancement of QoS for WCDMA CN. The purpose is to realize the DiffServ (Differentiated Services) model of QoS for WCDMA CN. Based on the parallelism characteristic of Network Processors (NPs), the NP programming model is classified as Pool of Threads (POTs) and Hyper Task Chaining (HTC). In this study, an integrated programming model that combines both of the two models was designed. This model has highly efficient and flexible features, and also solves the problems of sharing conflicts and packet ordering. We used this model as the programming model to realize DiffServ QoS for WCDMA CN. ^ The realization mechanism of the DiffServ model mainly consists of buffer management, packet scheduling and packet classification algorithms based on NPs. First, we proposed an adaptive buffer management algorithm called Packet Adaptive Fair Dropping (PAFD), which takes into consideration of both fairness and throughput, and has smooth service curves. Then, an improved packet scheduling algorithm called Priority-based Weighted Fair Queuing (PWFQ) was introduced to ensure the fairness of packet scheduling and reduce queue time of data packets. At the same time, the delay and jitter are also maintained in a small range. Thirdly, a multi-dimensional packet classification algorithm called Classification Based on Network Processors (CBNPs) was designed. It effectively reduces the memory access and storage space, and provides less time and space complexity. ^ Lastly, an integrated hardware and software system of the DiffServ model of QoS for WCDMA CN was proposed. It was implemented on the NP IXP2400. According to the corresponding experiment results, the proposed system significantly enhanced QoS for WCDMA CN. It extensively improves consistent response time, display distortion and sound image synchronization, and thus increases network efficiency and saves network resource.^

S Corporations Can Benefit Many Closely-Held Hospitality Firms

In his discussion - S Corporations Can Benefit Many Closely-Held Hospitality Firms - by John M. Tarras, Assistant Professor, School of Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management at Michigan State University, Assistant Professor Tarras initially offers: “Organization as an S corporation has many advantages for hospitality firms since passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The author discusses those advantages and lists the disadvantages as well.” In the opening paragraphs Tarras alludes to the relationship between hospitality firms, S corporations, and the Tax Reform Act of 1986, and then defines what an S corporation is. “An S corporation is a form of business entity that combines many of the tax advantages of partnerships with the legal attributes of a corporation, including limited liability for its shareholders. Its name is obtained from a subchapter of the Internal Revenue Code. Except for tax purposes, the S corporation is treated in the same manner as any regular corporation. Like a partnership, income and losses for an S corporation are generally passed through directly to shareholders for inclusion on their individual returns. An S corporation thus avoids the double tax problem facing regular corporations.” There are certain criteria to be met and caveats to be avoided in qualifying for S corporation status. Tarras lists and cites these for you. “Due to the complicated nature of S corporations, the election may be inadvertently terminated if the eligibility requirements are violated,” Tarras expands and cites. As the article suggests at the outset, there are advantages and disadvantages to S corporation status; the author outlines some examples for you. “Traditionally, the S corporation has been used by hospitality firms wishing to avoid the "double tax" problem of a regular corporation,” Tarras informs you. “Regular corporations are taxed once at the corporate level, and again at the shareholder level when income is distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends.” Tarras advises you as to why an S corporation is an advantage in this situation. “Since the S corporation generally is not subject to any corporate taxes, it generally makes no difference whether distributions to shareholders of S corporations are characterized as compensation or dividends,” thus the double tax is avoided. This is just one such positive illustration. Assistant Professor Tarras wants you to know: “Perhaps the most important reason to consider the S corporation has to do with the downward revision of tax rates for both individuals and corporations.” He highlights a case study for you. Some of the disadvantages of S corporation affiliation are the caveats alluded to earlier. They include, “the limitation of an S corporation of 35 shareholders,” Tarras cites. “Also, there are limits as to who may own stock in an S corporation.” These are but two of the limitations of an S corporation. Tarras closes with a further glimpse of the down-sides of an S corporation.

Managing Quality in the Hospitality Industry:

In - Managing Quality In the Hospitality Industry – an observation by W. Gerald Glover, Associate Professor, Hospitality Management Program, Appalachian State University, initially Glover establishes: “Quality is a primary concern in the hospitality industry. The author sees problems in the nature of the way businesses are managed and discusses approaches to ensuring quality in corporate cultures.” As the title suggests, the author wants to point out certain discrepancies in hospitality quality control, as well as enlighten you as to how to address some of these concerns. “A discussion of quality presents some interesting dilemmas. Quality is something that almost everyone wants,” Assistant Professor Glover notes. “Service businesses will never admit that they don't provide it to their customers, and few people actually understand what it takes to make it happen,” he further maintains. Glover wants you to know that in a dynamic industry such as hospitality, quality is the common denominator. Whether it be hotel, restaurant, airline, et al., quality is the raison d’être of the industry. “Quality involves the consistent delivery of a product or service according to the expected standards,” Glover provides. Many, if not all quality deficiencies can be traced back to management, Glover declares. He bullet points some of the operational and guest service problems managers’ face on a daily basis. One important point of note is the measuring and managing of quality. “Standards management is another critical area in people and product management that is seldom effective in corporations,” says Glover. “Typically, this area involves performance documentation, performance evaluation and appraisal, coaching, discipline, and team-building.” “To be effective at managing standards, an organization must establish communication in realms where it is currently non-existent or ineffective,” Glover goes on to say. “Coaching, training, and performance appraisal are methods to manage individuals who are expected to do what's expected.” He alludes to the benefit quality circles supply as well. In addressing American organizational behavior, Glover postures, “…a realization must develop that people and product management are the primary influences on generating revenues and eventually influencing the bottom line in all American organizations.” Glover introduces the concept of pro-activity. “Most recently, quality assurance and quality management have become the means used to develop and maintain proactive corporate cultures. When prevention is the focus, quality is most consistent and expectations are usually met,” he offers. Much of the article is dedicated to, “Appendix A-Table 1-Characteristics of Corporate Cultures (Reactive and Proactive. In it, Glover measures the impact of proactive management as opposed to the reactive management intrinsic to many elements of corporate culture mentality.

Gimme' A Break: Offering Sabbaticals as an Optional Leave Benefit in the Lodging Industry

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate the extended leave programs offered by lodging companies in the United States and to suggest a model that could be used in the lodging industry. This model mirrors successful sabbatical leave programs offered by leading companies featured in the annual report, 100 Best Companies to Work For (from this point forward, referred to as 100 Best), published on-line by Fortune Magazine, 2013 (CNN, 2013). While extended leave programs are not entirely lacking in the industry, our research discovered that such leave systems are rare. According to the companies investigated that offer a sabbatical leave program, this benefit offers highly sought after time away from work for top performing employees at the management and higher levels. The benefits reported include happier employees who have increased feelings of company loyalty, job satisfaction, and overall better attitudes. The sponsoring companies stated that those who take part in such leave contribute at a higher level upon their return, bringing fresh ideas and a renewed commitment to the company’s success.

Ex Ante Cost Benefit Analyses of Community-Based DRR Interventions in the Caribbean

This report presents a study on the cost benefit analyses (CBA) and cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) of community-based disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions in the Caribbean. The DRR interventions, implemented by the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), Port of Spain, in three Caribbean countries, Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda, and Suriname, comprised the pilot phase of the Red Cross (RC) Project, Improving Climate Change Resilience of Caribbean Communities. This study is part of the endeavor by the DRR Program of Florida International University (FIU) and the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of the U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) to develop and foster DRR measures in the Latin American and Caribbean region since 2008.

The new DGFI-TUM realization of the ITRS: DTRF2014 (data)

The DTRF2014 is a realization of the the fundamental Earth-fixed coordinate system, the International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS). It has been computed by the Deutsches Geodätisches Forschungsinstitut der Technischen Universität München (DGFI-TUM). The DTRF2014 consists of station positions and velocities of 1712 globally distributed geodetic observing stations of the observation techniques VLBI, SLR, GNSS and DORIS. Additionally, for the first time, non-tidal atmospheric and hydrological loading is considered in the solution. The DTRF2014 was released in August 2016 and incorporates observation data of the four techniques up 2014. The observation data were processed and submitted by the corresponding technique services: IGS (International GNSS Service, http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov) IVS (International VLBI Service, http://ivscc.gsfc.nasa.gov) ILRS (International Laser Ranging Service, http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov) IDS (International DORIS Service, http://ids-doris.org). The DTRF2014 is an independent ITRS realization. It is computed on the basis of the same input data as the realizations JTRF2014 (JPL, Pasadena) and ITRF2014 (IGN, Paris). The three realizations of the ITRS differ conceptually. While DTRF2014 and ITRF2014 are based on station positions at a reference epoch and velocities, the JTRF2014 is based on time series of station positions. DTRF2014 and ITRF2014 result from different combination strategies: The ITRF2014 is based on the combination of solutions, the DTRF2014 is computed by the combination of normal equations. The DTRF2014 comprises 3D coordinates and coordinate changes of 1347 GNSS-, 113 VLBI-, 99 SLR- and 153 DORIS-stations. The reference epoch is 1.1.2005, 0h UTC. The Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) - that means the coordinates of the terrestrial and the celestial pole, UT1-UTC and the Length of Day (LOD) - were simultaneously estimated with the station coordinates. The EOP time series cover the period from 1979.7 to 2015.0. The station names are the official IERS identifiers: CDP numbers or 4-character IDs and DOMES numbers (http://itrf.ensg.ign.fr/doc_ITRF/iers_sta_list.txt). The DTRF2014 solution is available in one comprehensive SINEX file and four technique-specific SINEX files, see below. A detailed description of the solution is given on the website of DGFI-TUM (http://www.dgfi.tum.de/en/science-data-products/dtrf2014/). More information can be made available by request.

Da maniva ao grolado: práticas produtivas e patrimoniais no processo identitário dos Tremembé de Almofala (CE)

The indigenous political scene in Brazil is undergoing transformations that need to be better analyzed by scholars in the field of the Social Sciences. The deficit in the policy of indigenous land demarcation emerges as the largest obstacle in the conquest of collective rights. Therefore, a study to analyze renewed strategies in the struggle for social rights, and their implications in local everyday life relations, is urgent. In this context, the aim of this research is to understand the current social dynamics of identity among the Tremembé people of Almofala, in the state of Ceará, Brazil, with a fieldwork conducted in the flour mill of the Casa de Farinha Comunitária project, in the Lameirão community. Specific aims are: a) to analyze the processes involved in the project in order to comprehend their meanings and appropriations as well as their everyday life and political uses; b) understand the strategies to fight for social benefits; c) analyze the local ethnic classifications grounding the construction of the Tremembé identity in Almofala. Methods deployed are ethnography of communities, used to apprehend the social production of networks of relationships, and a social cartography of practices. The realization of rights demanded by the indigenous populations in Brazil is intertwined with a process of social and legal legitimation their identity and cultural heritage. Such legitimation works as a safeguard mechanism of rights secured by the Constitution. Therefore, to own a “cultural heritage” is perceived as a “passport” to benefit from emerging rights. Amid this context, changes in the traditional processing of the cassava root, a productive practice shared locally by diverse social groups, is reified as cultural heritage by the Tremembé people of Almofala and their network of collaborators in the pursuit of accessing distinctive public policies. Furthermore, the research came across specific social arrangements of local subjects which unfolded internal struggles, enabling to understand the dynamics of the Tremembé of Almofala identity process.

Does market upgrading benefit farmers? : market differentiation, contract farming, and professional cooperatives in China's pork processing industry

This study tested whether contract farming or farmers professional cooperatives (FPCs) improved the social benefit of pork production and income of breeding farmers in China. The main concern of this study is whether institutional arrangement like contract farming or FPCs actually improved the welfare of farmers as expected. To answer this question accurately, we estimated the differentiated market demand of pork products in order to quantify the benefit by transaction types. Our study finds that contract farming or FPCs improved the benefits of pork products, but farmer's income remained lower than that of traditional transaction types. This finding is new in terms of quantifying distribution of the economic values among sales outlets, agro-firms and farmers. It is more reliable because it explicitly captures impacts from both demand side and supply side by structural estimation. In practice, we need to keep it mind the bargaining power of small farmers will not improve instantly even when the contract farming or FPCs are introduced.

Mafteaḥ leshon ha-ḳodesh, That is the Key of the Holy Tongue : Wherein is contained, First the Hebrue Grammer (in a manner) word for word out of P. Martinius : Englished for the benefit of those that (being ignorant in the Latine) are desirous to learne the holy tongue

by John Udall ; Carefully corrected, and many faults amended which were found both in the Latine and English copies By a Jew Rabine

AIDS benefit at Madison Square Garden

General note: Title provided by Bettye Lane