KQI evaluation for 360-Video services over mobile networks

New generation services have become the pillars and basis for the development of cutting-edge mobile networks as 5G and 6G. These technologies are intended to provide high-quality services which currently are not available, for instance, VR (Virtual reality). This paper presents a framework for LTE and 5G that aims to assess the performance of the 360-video service through Key Quality Indicators (KQI). This proposal integrates the immersive experience of omnidirectional video using an HMD (Head Mounted Device) while the performance measurement is done along the user session. The video content uses DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) from a video server located in the cloud. Finally, a performance comparison is provided making use of the data collected through an iterative experiment. The results obtained show the potential of the mobile networks and encourage their use for a high-quality VR service deployment.This work has been partially funded by: Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital; “Piloto 5G Andalucía” initiative, promoted by the Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, through Red.es; Junta de Andalucía and ERDF (Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades, Proyecto de Excelencia PENTA, P18-FR-4647), AECMA-5G: Advanced E2E Cellular Management for 5G Applications (Ref. UMA-CEIATECH-14), postdoctoral grant (Ref., DOC 01154, PAIDI 2020), Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología through grant FPU19/04468, and Junta de Andalucía (Secretaría General de Universidades, Investigación y Tecnología) through predoctoral grant call 2021 (granted to Oswaldo Penaherrera). This work was also supported by the University of Málaga through the I Plan Propio de Investigación, Transferencia y Divulgación Científica de la Universidad de Málaga. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Experimental investigation of rear flexible flaps interacting with the wake dynamics behind a squareback Ahmed body

We have conducted an experimental study on the use of rear flexible vertical flaps as adaptive solutions to reduce the drag of a squareback Ahmed body, and on the fluid–structure interaction mechanisms at the turbulent wake. To that aim, wind tunnel experiments were conducted to compare the performance of various configurations including the baseline body, the body with rigid flaps and with flexible flaps. These configurations were tested under different aligned and cross-flow conditions. The results reveal that the flexible adaptive devices effectively reduce the drag within for low values of the dimensionless stiffness quantified through the Cauchy number, ����. Thus, the two-dimensional deformation of the flexible flaps, which undergo progressive inwards reconfiguration (with an averaged tip deflection angle of �� ≃ 4◦), reduces the bluffness of the flow separation at the body base, thus shrinking the recirculation region. This reconfiguration leads to increased base pressure, resulting into a 8.3% decrease in the global drag, ����, under aligned conditions. Similar drag reductions are observed under yawed conditions. Two regimes are identified in terms of the coupled fluid–structure dynamics. For low ����, the passive reconfiguration of the flaps include small amplitude, periodic oscillations corresponding to the first free deformation mode of a cantilevered beam. Alongside these weak oscillations, the flaps are deformed guided by the changes in the value of the horizontal base pressure gradient, depicting bi-stable behavior which is caused by the synchronization between the Reflectional Symmetry Breaking (RSB) mode, typically present in the wake of three-dimensional bluff bodies, and the flaps deformation. For higher values of ����, the flexible flaps deflect inwardly by about �� ≃ 20◦ on average, but exhibit vigorous oscillations combining the first and second free deformation modes of a cantilevered beam. These large amplitude oscillations excite the flow separation at the model’s trailing edges, leading to significant fluctuations in the separated shear layers and a consequent 31% increase in the global drag. Under yawed conditions, the flaps responses for large values of ���� are different due to the asymmetry of the corresponding recirculation region.This work is a result of the Projects PDC2021-121288-I00, TED2021-131805B-C21 and TED2021-131805B-C22, financed by the Spanish MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033/, FEDER, UE, and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. M.L.D. also acknowledges the support from grant FJC2020-043093-I funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. Finally, J.C.M.H. acknowledges for the support of the Spanish MECD through FPU20/07261. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA

Regulation of Protein Secretion Systems Mediated by Cyclic Diguanylate in Plant-Interacting Bacteria

The ubiquitous second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) is involved in the regulation of different processes in bacteria. In phytopathogens, intracellular fluctuations in the concentration of this molecule contribute to the lifestyle switching from a motile and virulent stage to a sessile and biofilm-forming phase. Among the virulence mechanisms used by bacterial pathogens, different specific type secretion systems (TSSs) and the effector proteins that they translocate are included. Some of these TSS are conceived to suppress host immune responses during bacterial colonization. The modulation of the expression of secretion systems components and/or effector proteins can be influenced by c-di-GMP levels at transcriptional, translational, or post-translational levels and can take place directly by binding to specific or global regulators, or via transducer proteins. Different genera of plant-interacting bacteria have been analyzed to shed some light in the implications of c-di-GMP in the regulation of host plant colonization through protein secretion systems. Expression of (1) adhesins secreted by Type 1 secretion systems to bind the host plant in Pectobacterium (formerly Erwinia) and some beneficial Pseudomonas strains; (2) catalytic exoproteins delivered by Type 2 secretion systems to break plant cell wall in Dickeya; (3) effectors secreted by Type 3 secretion systems to suppress plant immunity in Xanthomonas; or (4) the activity of Type 6 secretion systems to export an ATPase in Pseudomonas, are finely tuned by c-di-GMP levels. In this minireview, we summarize the knowledge available about the implications of c-di-GMP in the regulation of protein secretion in different plant-interacting bacteria.Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitivity BIO2016-78409-

A Framework to boost the potential of networkin- a-box solutions

The expected heterogeneous connectivity provided by the fifth generation mobile network (5G) implies a huge revolution in the telecommunication field. Here, virtualisation and software implementation of network elements have been positioned as a key elements for this revolution. At the same time and as a consequence of the evolution of these two paradigms, network-in-a-box solutions have also emerged as a potential way in the deployment of networks, offering a portable infrastructure. Here, this work presents a framework for easing the management tasks of the network-in-a-box devices, allowing abstracting the hardware and software implementation of these kind of solutions. We provide an experimental validation of the framework through the deployment of a portable cellular network. Besides, a Cloud Gaming service is launched on this scenario, showing the versatility and strengths that the framework provides to these novel solutions.This work has been partially funded by “Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y transformación digital” (red.es, “Piloto 5G Andalucía, Caso 31 OpenRAN”), by “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” (grant FPU19/04468), and by Junta de Andalucía and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through AECMA-5G (UMA-CEIATECH-14) and post-doctoral grant (DOC01154, PAIDI 2020

Evaluación de la influencia de los recursos computacionales en la QoE del servicio.

The new generation of mobile networks goes beyond radio communications by providing a resilient and flexible architecture. In this context, the virtualization of Radio Access Networks (vRAN) completes the Network Func4on Virtualization (NFV) milestone, enabling a distributed and scalable network architecture. However, this approach increases the complexity of management tasks as computing resources start to play an essential role in the network provisioning process. In this sense, this work aims to assess the impact of computational resources on the delivery of video streaming services. The results obtained prove that inadequate resource assignment to vRAN instances leads to degradation of the Quality of Experience (QoE), even if the allocation of radio resources is adequate for the service.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

GPPP y SDR como una potente herramienta científica

One of the greatest problems in mobile networks that researchers have always faced on, is the difficulty of obtaining data from a real network. The limited access to commercial networks or the high prices which presents the equipment encourages the use of simulators in order to get data or test some algorithms. However, these problems can be solved with the emerging of the concept of SDR and GPPP. Hence, in this work it is presented a framework which enables their use in a scientific field. Moreover, a set of video experiment has been made, whose analysis shows the flexibility that these platforms offer as well as its potential as a wide source of real network data, introducing itself in this way, as a powerful tool for researching

Optimización de señalización en el canal común descendente para el estándar LTE-LAA

The use of unlicensed bands is one of the most promising features envisaged to increase capacity in cellular networks. However, this poses multiple challenges associated to the operation of LTE based standards with coexisting networks, such as WiFi. Previous coexistence analyses have been focused on the user-plane data-related transmissions and mainly based on abstract models. Meanwhile, the effects of the in-band signaling defined by the standards have been mainly disregarded, particularly for ultra-dense scenarios. This paper performs an assessment of how the different in-band signaling mechanisms influence the performance of the coexisting technologies. Based on this analyzed, an optimized signaling solution is envisaged to additionally enhance the service provision in these scenarios.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

AFDX networks simulation-based evaluation system

Aircraft on-board systems, including navigation equipment, sensors and actuator, among others, present an increasingly demanding requirements on the avionics data communication networks. Moreover, the safety-critical needs of avionics make network requirement even more stringent. Also, prototyping and testing different network architectures and configurations pose a challenge due to the cost of the equipment. Furthermore, classical performance assessment relies solely on worst-case assessment, which do not provide detailed feedback. For these reasons, an evaluation system is proposed focusing on the simulation of Avionics Full-Duplex Switched Ethernet (AFDX) in order to help decrease the costs of the development of such networks.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Camel Genetic Resources Conservation through Tourism: A Key Sociocultural Approach of Camelback Leisure Riding

Camels are exotic elements, which can be comprised within adventure travel companies promoting ecotourism activities. Such recreations contribute to sustainable livelihoods for local communities and educational empowerment towards nature and its conservation. At present, some local camel breeds’ survival reduces to this animal-based leisure industry and its reliability to perform and promote customized services accurately. By conducting an on-site questionnaire to customers participating in camelback riding tours, we assessed the motivational factors affecting participation, satisfaction, and loyalty in this tourism segment that may have made it socially differentiated. The sixfold combination of staff performance, culture geography, diverse and humane close interaction, camel behavior and performance, sociotemporal context, and positive previous experience involves the elemental dimensions that explain customer satisfaction and return intention probability within this entertainment business. Customer knowledge is essential for stakeholders to build personalized riding experiences and align profits with environmental sustainability and biodiversity mainstream concerns into their everyday operations. In turn, domestic camel tourist rides could be managed as a viable path to nature conservation by helping endangered local breeds to avoid their functional devaluation and potential extinction

Dissection of miRNA Pathways Using Arabidopsis Mesophyll Protoplasts

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control gene expression mostly post-transcriptionally by guiding transcript cleavage and/or translational repression of complementary mRNA targets, thereby regulating developmental processes and stress responses. Despite the remarkable expansion of the field, the mechanisms underlying miRNA activity are not fully understood. In this article, we describe a transient expression system in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts, which is highly amenable for the dissection of miRNA pathways. We show that by transiently overexpressing primary miRNAs and target mimics, we can manipulate miRNA levels and consequently impact on their targets. Furthermore, we developed a set of luciferase-based sensors for quantifying miRNA activity that respond specifically to both endogenous and overexpressed miRNAs and target mimics. We demonstrate that these miRNA sensors can be used to test the impact of putative components of the miRNA pathway on miRNA activity, as well as the impact of specific mutations, by either overexpression or the use of protoplasts from the corresponding mutants. We further show that our miRNA sensors can be used for investigating the effect of chemicals on miRNA activity. Our cell-based transient expression system is fast and easy to set up, and generates quantitative results, being a powerful tool for assaying miRNA activity in vivo.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia fellowships: (SFRH/BD/33563/2008, SFRH/BPD/47280/2008, SFRH/BPD/79255/2011) and grant: (PTCD/BIA-BCM/107924/2008); EMBO fellowship & EMBO Installation program; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant: (SPP1530); Max Planck Society grant