Probabilistic Prediction based Scheduling for Delay Sensitive Traffic in Internet of Things

This paper proposes a probabilistic prediction based approach for providing Quality of Service (QoS) to delay sensitive traffic for Internet of Things (IoT). A joint packet scheduling and dynamic bandwidth allocation scheme is proposed to provide service differentiation and preferential treatment to delay sensitive traffic. The scheduler focuses on reducing the waiting time of high priority delay sensitive services in the queue and simultaneously keeping the waiting time of other services within tolerable limits. The scheme uses the difference in probability of average queue length of high priority packets at previous cycle and current cycle to determine the probability of average weight required in the current cycle. This offers optimized bandwidth allocation to all the services by avoiding distribution of excess resources for high priority services and yet guaranteeing the services for it. The performance of the algorithm is investigated using MPEG-4 traffic traces under different system loading. The results show the improved performance with respect to waiting time for scheduling high priority packets and simultaneously keeping tolerable limits for waiting time and packet loss for other services. Crown Copyright (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Stimuli-responsive weak polyelectrolyte multilayer films: A thin film platform for self triggered multi-drug delivery

Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) thin film composed of weak polyelectrolytes was designed by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) for multi-drug delivery applications. Environmental stimuli such as pH and ionic strength showed significant influence in changing the film morphology from pore-free smooth structure to porous structure and favored triggered release of loaded molecules. The film was successfully loaded with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CH) by modulating the porous polymeric network of the film. Release studies showed that the amount of release could be easily controlled by changing the environmental conditions such as pH and ionic strength. Sustained release of loaded molecules was observed up to 8 h. The fabricated films were found to be biocompatible with epithelial cells during in-vitro cell culture studies. PEM film reported here not only has the potential to be used as self-responding thin film platform for transdermal drug delivery, but also has the potential for further development in antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory coatings on implants and drug-releasing coatings for stents. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rab9A is required for delivery of cargo from recycling endosomes to melanosomes

Melanosomes are a type of lysosome-related organelle that is commonly defective in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. Biogenesis of melanosomes is regulated by BLOC-1, -2, -3, or AP-1, -3 complexes, which mediate cargo transport from recycling endosomes to melanosomes. Although several Rab GTPases have been shown to regulate these trafficking steps, the precise role of Rab9A remains unknown. Here, we found that a cohort of Rab9A associates with the melanosomes and its knockdown in melanocytes results in hypopigmented melanosomes due to mistargeting of melanosomal proteins to lysosomes. In addition, the Rab9A-depletion phenotype resembles Rab38/ 32-inactivated or BLOC-3-deficient melanocytes, suggesting that Rab9A works in line with BLOC-3 and Rab38/ 32 during melanosome cargo transport. Furthermore, silencing of Rab9A, Rab38/ 32 or its effector VARP, or BLOC-3-deficiency in melanocytes decreased the length of STX13-positive recycling endosomal tubules and targeted the SNARE to lysosomes. This result indicates a defect in directing recycling endosomal tubules to melanosomes. Thus, Rab9A and its co-regulatory GTPases control STX13-mediated cargo delivery to maturing melanosomes.

Stimuli-responsive protamine-based biodegradable nanocapsules for enhanced bioavailability and intracellular delivery of anticancer agents

Enzyme-and pH-responsive polyelectrolyte nanocapsules having diameters in the range of 200 +/- 20 nm were fabricated by means of Layer-by-Layer assembly of biopolymers, protamine, and heparin, and then loaded with anticancer drug doxorubicin. The incorporation of the FDA-approved peptide drug protamine as a wall component rendered the capsules responsive to enzyme stimuli. The stimuli-responsive drug release from these nanocapsules was evaluated, and further modulation of capsule permeability to avoid premature release was demonstrated by crosslinking the wall components. The interaction of the nanocapsules with cancer cells was studied using MCF-7 breast cancer cells. These capsules were readily internalized and disintegrated inside the cells, culminating in the release of the loaded doxorubicin and subsequent cell death as observed by confocal microscopy and MTT Assay. The bioavailability studies performed using BALB/c mice revealed that the encapsulated doxorubicin exhibited enhanced bioavailability compared to free doxorubicin. Our results indicate that this stimuli-responsive system fabricated from clinically used FDA-approved molecules and exhibiting minimal premature release has great potential for drug-delivery applications.

Stimuli-responsive protamine-based biodegradable nanocapsules for enhanced bioavailability and intracellular delivery of anticancer agents

Enzyme-and pH-responsive polyelectrolyte nanocapsules having diameters in the range of 200 +/- 20 nm were fabricated by means of Layer-by-Layer assembly of biopolymers, protamine, and heparin, and then loaded with anticancer drug doxorubicin. The incorporation of the FDA-approved peptide drug protamine as a wall component rendered the capsules responsive to enzyme stimuli. The stimuli-responsive drug release from these nanocapsules was evaluated, and further modulation of capsule permeability to avoid premature release was demonstrated by crosslinking the wall components. The interaction of the nanocapsules with cancer cells was studied using MCF-7 breast cancer cells. These capsules were readily internalized and disintegrated inside the cells, culminating in the release of the loaded doxorubicin and subsequent cell death as observed by confocal microscopy and MTT Assay. The bioavailability studies performed using BALB/c mice revealed that the encapsulated doxorubicin exhibited enhanced bioavailability compared to free doxorubicin. Our results indicate that this stimuli-responsive system fabricated from clinically used FDA-approved molecules and exhibiting minimal premature release has great potential for drug-delivery applications.

Intracellular delivery of antibodies by chimeric Sesbania mosaic virus (SeMV) virus like particles

The therapeutic potential of antibodies has not been fully exploited as they fail to cross cell membrane. In this article, we have tested the possibility of using plant virus based nanoparticles for intracellular delivery of antibodies. For this purpose, Sesbania mosaic virus coat protein (CP) was genetically engineered with the B domain of Staphylococcus aureus protein A (SpA) at the beta H-beta I loop, to generate SeMV loop B (SLB), which self-assembled to virus like particles (VLPs) with 43 times higher affinity towards antibodies. CP and SLB could internalize into various types of mammalian cells and SLB could efficiently deliver three different monoclonal antibodies-D6F10 (targeting abrin), anti-a-tubulin (targeting intracellular tubulin) and Herclon (against HER2 receptor) inside the cells. Such a mode of delivery was much more effective than antibodies alone treatment. These results highlight the potential of SLB as a universal nanocarrier for intracellular delivery of antibodies.

O parlamento aberto na era da internet : pode o povo colaborar com o Legislativo na elaboração da leis?

Aborda as principais questões da atual reflexão sobre a democracia participativa. Tem como base o estudo de dois casos em especial de práticas participativas digitais desenvolvidas por parlamentos: o programa e-Democracia, da Câmara dos Deputados brasileira, e o projeto Senador Virtual, do Senado chileno.

The open parliament in the age of the internet : can the people now collaborate with legislatures in lawmaking?

This work seeks to address those questions and evaluate other international experiences and experiments designed to achieve the same ends. The book is based on a study of two particular cases where parliamentary bodies designed and implemented participatory digital processes, namely, the e-Democracy Program developed by the Brazilian House of Representatives, and the Virtual Senator Program developed by the Chilean Senate. The text unfolds in the form of a systematic analysis of institutional aspects embracing political and organizational elements as well as the social aspects associated to the application of digital democracy in parliaments. The investigation shows that at the stage they found themselves in 2010 those projects had only brought in very incipient results in regard to the aspects of enhancing representativity in decision making processes, aggregating collective intelligence to the legislative process or transparency to parliamentary performances, even though all of those are precious components of any democracy that deems itself to be participatory and deliberative. Nevertheless, such experiences have had the merit of contributing towards the gradual construction of more effective participatory mechanisms, complementary to the political representation system in place.

El parlamento abierto em la era de la Internet : ¿Puede el pueblo colaborar com el Legislativo en la elaboración de las leyes?

¿Es viable la coexistencia de acciones de participación y deliberación con el ejercicio de la representación parlamentaria? ¿De qué manera la tecnologia de la información y comunicación ha auxiliado el proceso de interacción entre la sociedad y el parlamento en el cotidiano dei legislativo? ¿Estamos cercanos a un sistema híbrido de democracia representativa y participativa con la incorporación en la agenda legislativa de maneras efectivas de coproducción de leyes? Esta obra intenta responder a estas preguntas, además de evaluar otras experiencias intemacionales con este mismo objetivo. El libro tiene como base el estudio de dos casos en especial de prácticas participativas digitales desarrolladas por parlamentos: el programa e-Democracia de la Cámara de Diputados brasileños y el proyecto Senador Virtual dei Senado chileno. El texto se desarrolla mediante el análisis sistemático de los aspectos institucionales que abarcan elementos organizacionales y políticos, así como de los aspectos sociales comprometidos en la aplicación de la democracia digital en parlamentos. La investigación indica que estos proyectos, en el punto en que se encontraban en el año 2010 presentaron resultados aunque incipientes en lo que concieme a la mejoría de la representatividad en la toma de decisiones, de agregación de inteligencia colectiva, en el proceso legislativo y de la transparencia por parte de la actuación parlamentaria, elementos apreciados por la democracia participativa y deliberativa. No obstante, dichas experiencias poseen el mérito de contribuir con la construcción gradual de mecanismos participativos más efectivos y complementarios ai sistema político.

Internet e educação : a compressão espaço-temporal e o civismo

Discute a relação entre a Internet e a educação para o civismo. Parte-se de uma análise do processo de compressão espaço-temporal, que se acirra com o advento das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC). A imaterialidade das relações e o individualismo são consequências de um mesmo processo que afasta os homens do mundo e os vincula a simulacros, e a presença da técnica tende a dar força a esse processo. Dessa forma, a velocidade das trocas simbólicas realizadas através das infovias acaba por exercer diversos impactos nos processos educacionais, destacando-se a falta de cultura política. Trata-se de uma situação difícil de ser modificada, no entanto, ao debater a relação entre a Internet e a educação, o texto também procura apontar caminhos para a constituição de um civismo a partir da presença das TIC no cotidiano.

Exigência de contratação de provedor de serviço de conexão à internet para o acesso em banda larga

Consultoria Legislativa - Área XIV - Comunicação Social, Informática, Telecomunicações, Sistema Postal, Ciência e Tecnologia.

A internet como um serviço público municipal

Consultoria Legislativa - Área XIV - Comunicação Social, Informática, Telecomunicações, Sistema Postal, Ciência e Tecnologia.

O futuro é a internet gratuita

Consultoria Legislativa - Área XIV - Comunicação Social, Informática, Telecomunicações, Sistema Postal, Ciência e Tecnologia.

Por que e como universalizar a internet

Consultoria Legislativa - Área XIV - Ciência e Tecnologia, Comunicações e Informática.