User-Centric Quality of Service Provisioning in IP Networks

The Internet has become the preferred transport medium for almost every type of communication, continuing to grow, both in terms of the number of users and delivered services. Efforts have been made to ensure that time sensitive applications receive sufficient resources and subsequently receive an acceptable Quality of Service (QoS). However, typical Internet users no longer use a single service at a given point in time, as they are instead engaged in a multimedia-rich experience, comprising of many different concurrent services. Given the scalability problems raised by the diversity of the users and traffic, in conjunction with their increasing expectations, the task of QoS provisioning can no longer be approached from the perspective of providing priority to specific traffic types over coexisting services; either through explicit resource reservation, or traffic classification using static policies, as is the case with the current approach to QoS provisioning, Differentiated Services (Diffserv). This current use of static resource allocation and traffic shaping methods reveals a distinct lack of synergy between current QoS practices and user activities, thus highlighting a need for a QoS solution reflecting the user services. The aim of this thesis is to investigate and propose a novel QoS architecture, which considers the activities of the user and manages resources from a user-centric perspective. The research begins with a comprehensive examination of existing QoS technologies and mechanisms, arguing that current QoS practises are too static in their configuration and typically give priority to specific individual services rather than considering the user experience. The analysis also reveals the potential threat that unresponsive application traffic presents to coexisting Internet services and QoS efforts, and introduces the requirement for a balance between application QoS and fairness. This thesis proposes a novel architecture, the Congestion Aware Packet Scheduler (CAPS), which manages and controls traffic at the point of service aggregation, in order to optimise the overall QoS of the user experience. The CAPS architecture, in contrast to traditional QoS alternatives, places no predetermined precedence on a specific traffic; instead, it adapts QoS policies to each individual’s Internet traffic profile and dynamically controls the ratio of user services to maintain an optimised QoS experience. The rationale behind this approach was to enable a QoS optimised experience to each Internet user and not just those using preferred services. Furthermore, unresponsive bandwidth intensive applications, such as Peer-to-Peer, are managed fairly while minimising their impact on coexisting services. The CAPS architecture has been validated through extensive simulations with the topologies used replicating the complexity and scale of real-network ISP infrastructures. The results show that for a number of different user-traffic profiles, the proposed approach achieves an improved aggregate QoS for each user when compared with Best effort Internet, Traditional Diffserv and Weighted-RED configurations. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the proposed architecture not only provides an optimised QoS to the user, irrespective of their traffic profile, but through the avoidance of static resource allocation, can adapt with the Internet user as their use of services change.France Teleco

A Survey of Differentiated Services Proposals for the Internet

Abstract TR/1998/020 Technical Report SSC/1998/020 Authors: Constant Gbaguidi, Hans J. Einsiedler, Paul Hurley, Werner Almesberger and Jean-Pierre Hubaux Date: Title: A Survey of Differentiated Services Proposals for the Internet Abstract Differentiated services are a suitable solution to Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning in the Internet while the number of users keeps growing. The solution is suitable, because it scales well with increasing number of network users and it does not alter the current Internet paradigm much. In this article, we review the state of the art in this ÒnewÓ area, and compare some of the main existing differentiated services architectures. We outline the common solutions across these architectures, thus paving the road to a unified architecture. Lastly, we mention the issues that have not been thoroughly addressed yet

An Investigation of Sustainable Product Purchase Behavior: A Social Cognitive Perspective of Consumer Action

Environmentally friendly products have been available since the 1970s receiving both praise and skepticism on the part of consumers. More recently, product focus has shifted towards a product‘s social, economic, and environmental concerns (sustainable products). While consumers admit they would buy sustainable products, this behavior is currently not occurring at the point of purchase. This research contributes to the existing literature by further exploring why a consumer‘s likelihood to purchase sustainable products is not translated into actual sales. Based on an extensive review of the extant literature a theoretical model was developed and tested using an online survey distributed to employees from a Mid-Western community college. The results will be analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The study contributes to the literature by answering calls from Henry (2009) to use social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) and Grant, Franklin, and Langford (2002) to use the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale in a research realm outside of psychology. Moreover, this research tests eco-labels as a antecedent of willingness-to-pay as called for by Laroche, Bergeron, and Barbaro-Forleo (2001). Other contributions of this study include extending the research examining sustainable consumption and using self-efficacy as a mediator. In summary, this research tests a theoretical model to gain insights into the factors influencing likelihood to purchase sustainable products. Overall, sustainability perceptions are strong predictors of likelihood to purchase sustainable products, explaining 63% of the variance

Suitability of a commercial software defined radio system for passive coherent location

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-99)

Parallel Manipulators

In recent years, parallel kinematics mechanisms have attracted a lot of attention from the academic and industrial communities due to potential applications not only as robot manipulators but also as machine tools. Generally, the criteria used to compare the performance of traditional serial robots and parallel robots are the workspace, the ratio between the payload and the robot mass, accuracy, and dynamic behaviour. In addition to the reduced coupling effect between joints, parallel robots bring the benefits of much higher payload-robot mass ratios, superior accuracy and greater stiffness; qualities which lead to better dynamic performance. The main drawback with parallel robots is the relatively small workspace. A great deal of research on parallel robots has been carried out worldwide, and a large number of parallel mechanism systems have been built for various applications, such as remote handling, machine tools, medical robots, simulators, micro-robots, and humanoid robots. This book opens a window to exceptional research and development work on parallel mechanisms contributed by authors from around the world. Through this window the reader can get a good view of current parallel robot research and applications

Performance Analysis For Wireless G (IEEE 802.11 G) And Wireless N (IEEE 802.11 N) In Outdoor Environment

This paper described an analysis the different capabilities and limitation of both IEEE technologies that has been utilized for data transmission directed to mobile device. In this work, we have compared an IEEE 802.11/g/n outdoor environment to know what technology is better. the comparison consider on coverage area (mobility), through put and measuring the interferences. The work presented here is to help the researchers to select the best technology depending of their deploying case, and investigate the best variant for outdoor. The tool used is Iperf software which is to measure the data transmission performance of IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11g

Performance analysis for wireless G (IEEE 802.11G) and wireless N (IEEE 802.11N) in outdoor environment

This paper described an analysis the different capabilities and limitation of both IEEE technologies that has been utilized for data transmission directed to mobile device. In this work, we have compared an IEEE 802.11/g/n outdoor environment to know what technology is better. The comparison consider on coverage area (mobility), throughput and measuring the interferences. The work presented here is to help the researchers to select the best technology depending of their deploying case, and investigate the best variant for outdoor. The tool used is Iperf software which is to measure the data transmission performance of IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11g

Advanced electrochemical techniques for investigating electron transfer kinetics

Heterogenous interfacial electron transfer processes are of fundamental and applied importance to electrochemists and are extensively studied by a wide range of electrochemical techniques. This thesis focuses on the development of analysis strategies and electrochemical methodologies for more detailed quantitative investigations of electron transfer kinetics at a plethora of electrode materials, with an emphasis on carbon-based materials. Of interest are the techniques of Fourier-transformed large amplitude alternating current voltammetry (FTACV) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The complementary electrochemical techniques of FTACV and SECM are used for measurements of fast electron transfer to reveal the impact of the complex heterogeneous surface of degenerately-doped polycrystalline boron-doped diamond electrode surfaces compared to conventional electrode materials such as platinum and gold. This part of the work highlights the importance of understanding the influence of measurement technique and further demonstrates how electron transfer at semi-metallic electrodes differ from conventional metallic electrodes. The oxidation of a ferrocene-derivative at highly oriented pyrolytic graphite is used to demonstrate the effects of reversible reactant adsorption on the SECM response. The high surface area-to-solution volume ratio of nanogap SECM measurements depicts the importance of understanding the impact of such surface effects. Precise quantitative kinetic analysis requires understanding of the mass transport between the SECM probe and electrode surface. Finite element method modelling was used to extensively investigate the effects of electrode reactant processes and the results of the models shed light on important factors that need to be accounted for in quantitative analysis of nanogap voltammetric measurements. FTACV is further developed as a tool for kinetic selectivity at heterogeneous electrode surfaces. This is achieved by taking advantage of the harmonic-dependent measurement timescale of FTACV to deconvolute a dual-heterogeneity electrochemical response into its individual components. Protocols are developed for this application and demonstrated experimentally using the ruthenium hexamine and ferrocene methanol redox couples

Strategic Latency Unleashed: The Role of Technology in a Revisionist Global Order and the Implications for Special Operations Forces

The article of record may be found at https://cgsr.llnl.govThis work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in part under Contract W-7405-Eng-48 and in part under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The views and opinions of the author expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC. ISBN-978-1-952565-07-6 LCCN-2021901137 LLNL-BOOK-818513 TID-59693This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in part under Contract W-7405-Eng-48 and in part under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The views and opinions of the author expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC. ISBN-978-1-952565-07-6 LCCN-2021901137 LLNL-BOOK-818513 TID-5969