Distributed video coding in wireless multimedia sensor network for multimedia broadcasting

Recently the development of Distributed Video Coding (DVC) has provided the promising theory support to realize the infrastructure of Wireless Multimedia Sensor Network (WMSN), which composed of autonomous hardware for capturing and transmission of quality audio-visual content. The implementation of DVC in WMSN can better solve the problem of energy constraint of the sensor nodes due to the benefit of lower computational encoder in DVC. In this paper, a practical DVC scheme, pixel-domain Wyner-Ziv(PDWZ) video coding, with slice structure and adaptive rate selection(ARS) is proposed to solve the certain problems when applying DVC into WMSN. Firstly, the proposed slice structure in PDWZ has extended the feasibility of PDWZ to work with any interleaver size used in Slepian-wolf turbo codec for heterogeneous applications. Meanwhile, based on the slice structure, an adaptive code rate selection has been proposed aiming at reduce the system delay occurred in feedback request. The simulation results clearly showed the enhancement in R-D performance and perceptual quality. It also can be observed that system delay caused by frequent feedback is greatly reduced, which gives a promising support for WMSN with low latency and facilitates the QoS management

An efficient error resilience scheme based on wyner-ziv coding for region-of-Interest protection of wavelet based video transmission

In this paper, we propose a bandwidth efficient error resilience scheme for wavelet based video transmission over wireless channel by introducing an additional Wyner-Ziv (WZ) stream to protect region of interest (ROI) in a frame. In the proposed architecture, the main video stream is compressed by a generic wavelet domain coding structure and passed through the error prone channel without any protection. Meanwhile, the predefined ROI area related wavelet coefficients obtained after an integer wavelet transform will be specially protected by WZ codec in an additional channel during transmission. At the decoder side, the error-prone ROI related wavelet coefficients will be used as side information to help decoding the WZ stream. Different size of WZ bit streams can be applied in order to meet different bandwidth condition and different requirement of end users. The simulation results clearly revealed that the proposed scheme has distinct advantages in saving bandwidth comparing with fully applied FEC algorithm to whole video stream and in the meantime offer the robust transmission over error prone channel for certain video applications

Quasi-morphisms and L^p-metrics on groups of volume-preserving diffeomorphisms

Let M be a smooth compact connected oriented manifold of dimension at least two endowed with a volume form. We show that every homogeneous quasi-morphism on the identity component $Diff_0(M,vol)$ of the group of volume preserving diffeomorphisms of M, which is induced by a quasi-morphism on the fundamental group, is Lipschitz with respect to the L^p-metric on the group $Diff_0(M,vol)$. As a consequence, assuming certain conditions on the fundamental group, we construct bi-Lipschitz embeddings of finite dimensional vector spaces into $Diff_0(M,vol)$.Comment: This is a published versio

In situ analysis for intelligent control

We report a pilot study on in situ analysis of backscatter data for intelligent control of a scientific instrument on an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) carried out at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). The objective of the study is to investigate techniques which use machine intelligence to enable event-response scenarios. Specifically we analyse a set of techniques for automated sample acquisition in the water-column using an electro-mechanical "Gulper", designed at MBARI. This is a syringe-like sampling device, carried onboard an AUV. The techniques we use in this study are clustering algorithms, intended to identify the important distinguishing characteristics of bodies of points within a data sample. We demonstrate that the complementary features of two clustering approaches can offer robust identification of interesting features in the water-column, which, in turn, can support automatic event-response control in the use of the Gulper

Determination of plutonium in nitric acid solutions using energy dispersive L X-ray fluorescence with a low power X-ray generator

International audienceThis work presents the development of an in-line energy dispersive L X-ray fluorescence spectrometer setup , with a low power X-ray generator and a secondary target, for the determination of plutonium concentration in nitric acid solutions. The intensity of the L X-rays from the internal conversion and gamma rays emitted by the daughter nuclei from plutonium are minimized and corrected, in order to eliminate the interferences with the L X-ray fluorescence spectrum. The matrix effects are then corrected by the Compton peak method. A calibration plot for plutonium solutions within the range 0.1-20 g.L −1 is given

Utilisation of intensive foraging zones by female Australian fur seals.

Within a heterogeneous environment, animals must efficiently locate and utilise foraging patches. One way animals can achieve this is by increasing residency times in areas where foraging success is highest (area-restricted search). For air-breathing diving predators, increased patch residency times can be achieved by altering both surface movements and diving patterns. The current study aimed to spatially identify the areas where female Australian fur seals allocated the most foraging effort, while simultaneously determining the behavioural changes that occur when they increase their foraging intensity. To achieve this, foraging behaviour was successfully recorded with a FastLoc GPS logger and dive behaviour recorder from 29 individual females provisioning pups. Females travelled an average of 118 ± 50 km from their colony during foraging trips that lasted 7.3 ± 3.4 days. Comparison of two methods for calculating foraging intensity (first-passage time and first-passage time modified to include diving behaviour) determined that, due to extended surface intervals where individuals did not travel, inclusion of diving behaviour into foraging analyses was important for this species. Foraging intensity 'hot spots' were found to exist in a mosaic of patches within the Bass Basin, primarily to the south-west of the colony. However, the composition of benthic habitat being targeted remains unclear. When increasing their foraging intensity, individuals tended to perform dives around 148 s or greater, with descent/ascent rates of approximately 1.9 m•s-1 or greater and reduced postdive durations. This suggests individuals were maximising their time within the benthic foraging zone. Furthermore, individuals increased tortuosity and decreased travel speeds while at the surface to maximise their time within a foraging location. These results suggest Australian fur seals will modify both surface movements and diving behaviour to maximise their time within a foraging patch

Evaluation of the first automated thyroglobulin assay

The aim of this study was to investigate technical and analytical performance of the first automated thyroglobulin (Tg) assay (DPC-Immulite(R); Diagnostic Products Corporation, Los Angeles, USA). In imprecision studies using several human serum pools ranging from 21 to 58 replicates, a coefficient of variation of 9.0 % was obtained at a mean Tg concentration of 0.84 ng/ml and of 6.1 % at a Tg concentration of 62.1 ng/ml. In a method comparison with a non-automated assay (BRAHMS LUMItest Tg(R), BRAHMS, Berlin, Germany) using 383 sera of 303 patients with thyroid carcinoma, regression analysis according to Passing and Bablock yielded in the following equation: Immulite Tg=1.6 x BRAHMS Tg - 0.1 ng/ml (Pearson's r=0.979). Sera obtained from 59 patients with thyroid carcinoma enabled comparative follow-up studies; in all cases qualitative agreement was found with regard to increase or decrease of serum Tg; in eight cases, however, Tg was detected with the Immulite assay but not with the BRAHMS assay. Further follow-up proved the presence of thyroid tissue in these patients. From these and further methodological data (dilution linearity, interference studies, carry-over study, high-dose hook properties, and short report time) it is concluded that the DPC-Immulite Tg assay meets the requirements of routine diagnostic use

A Formal, Resource Consumption-Preserving Translation of Actors to Haskell

We present a formal translation of an actor-based language with cooperative scheduling to the functional language Haskell. The translation is proven correct with respect to a formal semantics of the source language and a high-level operational semantics of the target, i.e. a subset of Haskell. The main correctness theorem is expressed in terms of a simulation relation between the operational semantics of actor programs and their translation. This allows us to then prove that the resource consumption is preserved over this translation, as we establish an equivalence of the cost of the original and Haskell-translated execution traces.Comment: Pre-proceedings paper presented at the 26th International Symposium on Logic-Based Program Synthesis and Transformation (LOPSTR 2016), Edinburgh, Scotland UK, 6-8 September 2016 (arXiv:1608.02534

The role of extracellular matrix elasticity and composition in regulating the nucleus pulposus cell phenotype in the intervertebral disc: a narrative review.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) disorders are a major contributor to disability and societal health care costs. Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells of the IVD exhibit changes in both phenotype and morphology with aging-related IVD degeneration that may impact the onset and progression of IVD pathology. Studies have demonstrated that immature NP cell interactions with their extracellular matrix (ECM) may be key regulators of cellular phenotype, metabolism and morphology. The objective of this article is to review our recent experience with studies of NP cell-ECM interactions that reveal how ECM cues can be manipulated to promote an immature NP cell phenotype and morphology. Findings demonstrate the importance of a soft (<700 Pa), laminin-containing ECM in regulating healthy, immature NP cells. Knowledge of NP cell-ECM interactions can be used for development of tissue engineering or cell delivery strategies to treat IVD-related disorders

Extrato de Manihot esculenta como inseticida alternativo no controle de pulgão preto (Toxoptera citricida) dos citros.

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a toxicidade de cinco concentrações de extrato de Manihot esculenta aplicado por pulverização via translaminar sobre a mortalidade de pulgão preto em condições de laboratório