A Simple and Robust Dissemination Protocol for VANETs

Several promising applications for Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) exist. For most of these applications, the communication among vehicles is envisioned to be based on the broadcasting of messages. This is due to the inherent highly mobile environment and importance of these messages to vehicles nearby. To deal with broadcast communication, dissemination protocols must be defined in such a way as to (i) prevent the so-called broadcast storm problem in dense networks and (ii) deal with disconnected networks in sparse topologies. In this paper, we present a Simple and Robust Dissemination (SRD) protocol that deals with these requirements in both sparse and dense networks. Its novelty lies in its simplicity and robustness. Simplicity is achieved by considering only two states (cluster tail and non- tail) for a vehicle. Robustness is achieved by assigning message delivery responsibility to multiple vehicles in sparse networks. Our simulation results show that SRD achieves high delivery ratio and low end-to-end delay under diverse traffic conditions

Algorithms for Spectral Analysis of Irregularly Sampled Time Series

In this paper, we present a spectral analysis method based upon least square approximation. Our method deals with nonuniform sampling. It provides meaningful phase information that varies in a predictable way as the samples are shifted in time. We compare least square approximations of real and complex series, analyze their properties for sample count towards infinity as well as estimator behaviour, and show the equivalence to the discrete Fourier transform applied onto uniformly sampled data as a special case. We propose a way to deal with the undesirable side effects of nonuniform sampling in the presence of constant offsets. By using weighted least square approximation, we introduce an analogue to the Morlet wavelet transform for nonuniformly sampled data. Asymptotically fast divide-and-conquer schemes for the computation of the variants of the proposed method are presented. The usefulness is demonstrated in some relevant applications.

A scalable data dissemination protocol for both highway and urban vehicular environments

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) enable the timely broadcast dissemination of event-driven messages to interested vehicles. Especially when dealing with broadcast communication, data dissemination protocols must achieve a high degree of scalability due to frequent deviations in the network density. In dense networks, suppression techniques are designed to prevent the so-called broadcast storm problem. In sparse networks, protocols incorporate store-carry-forward mechanisms to take advantage of the mobility of vehicles to store and relay messages until a new opportunity for dissemination emerges. Despite numerous efforts, most related works focus on either highway or urban scenarios, but not both. Highways are mostly addressed with a single directional dissemination. For urban scenarios, protocols mostly concentrate on either using infrastructure or developing methods for selecting vehicles to perform the store-carry-forward task. In both cases, dense networks are dealt with suppression techniques that are not optimal for multi-directional dissemination. To fill this gap, we present an infrastructure-less protocol that combines a generalized time slot scheme based on directional sectors and a store-carry-forward algorithm to support multi-directional data dissemination. By means of simulations, we show that our protocol scales properly in various network densities in both realistic highway and urban scenarios. Most importantly, it outperforms state-of-the-art protocols in terms of delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and number of transmissions. Compared to these solutions, our protocol presents up to seven times lower number of transmissions in dense highway scenarios

Women’s activewear trends and drivers: a systematic review

Purpose The activewear industry would benefit from an evidence-based understanding of how activewear is incorporated into women’s lives and their changing participation in physical activity. Activewear brands may be missing the trend of women moving from organised sport to non-organised and individualised sport and recreation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the degree to which academic and industry research understood patterns and influences on female’s activewear consumption and identified what significant gaps are evident in understanding the drivers and industry trends that pertain to female consumers of activewear. Design/methodology/approach The systematic literature review sought academic and industry research papers. Articles were selected if they included female participants; and/or addressed consumer related information; and focussed on active wear. Article findings were thematically analysed. Findings Most literature exploring activewear consumption fails to take gender into consideration or explore unique female consumer profiles. Females are bringing activewear into other parts of their wardrobe and place more value on fashion, even for sports attire. Research identified the need for activewear brands to consider lifestyle, emotional and personality elements of consumer behaviour. However a specific focus on women’s branding was absent. Women’s age and generation influenced their activewear consumption. Although some industry reports discussed the shift in use of activewear, no studies explored the impact of the critical shift in women’s physical activity patterns on the activewear industry. Originality/value This review identifies the gap in knowledge regarding women’s activewear consumption patterns and needs, and the importance of reflecting the changes in female physical activity participation. It also links marketing and design of women’s activewear to the needs of female consumers based on their actual patterns and trends in physical activity. The findings are relevant to activewear researchers, brands, marketers and producers

Equity of European Industriel Corporations from 1991 to 1993

Throughout the Member States of the European Union, economic policy debate has centred on the terms of corporate financing, and in particular on whether the companies of each country have sufficient equity to compete in a single market. Moreover, faced with the risk of corporate insolvency, credit institutions consider a certain equity level to be one of several indicators of creditworthiness. Given this situation and within the framework of the work of the European Committee of Central Balance Sheet Offices, Germany, Austria, Spain, France and Italy and the second General Directorate of the European Commission invited a working group , to compare the f-inancial autonomy of European industriel companies. This study covered the period 1991 to 1993 and examined several issues. Do corporate equity levels vary according to the country ? Do these levels vary according to company size, regardless of the country? Do small companies have a specific position in each country? This study is based on an évaluation of corporate solvency, given that equity is used by companies and their financial partners to control risk exposure. After a brief reminder of the role of equity, the study sums up the research conducted since the publication in 1958 of the paper by Modigliani and Miller and gives a critical analysis of the empirical findings of intenational comparisons. All such research must begin by identifying and solving the financial and statistical methodological problems inherent to comparisons of the financing conditions of different countries. The work conducted gives rise to clear conclusions. - Corporate equity levels vary from country to country. These differences are at least partially related to variations in taxation, bankruptcy regulations, the organization of the banking system, the relationship between banks and companies and the financing practices of each country. - An overall analysis is insufficient and must be complemented by an analysis by company size. - The situation of the companies in each country can not be evaluated without taking into account financial requirements. - In France, regardless of the size of the company, the share of equity in overall financial resources appears larger than in other countries. Moreover, the difference between the equity of small and medium-sized companies and that of large corporations is narrower than in Germany or Austria. It should also be noted that this company classification is relatively recent in France.

Avaliação de ruído em escolas

O trabalho apresenta uma avaliação dos níveis sonoros nos locais utilizados para a prática de ensino dos alunos da Fundação Liberato Salzano, em Novo Hamburgo. Existem pesquisas mostrando que os níveis de ruído em escolas estão acima do nível de conforto acústico, devido aos ventiladores, sistemas de aquecimento, equipamentos de laboratório, conversas dos indivíduos, e pelo fato de existir uma certa despreocupação e desconhecimento, por parte dos governos, administradores escolares, professores e alunos, dos efeitos negativos do ruído sobre a saúde do ser humano e sobre o rendimento escolar. Na Fundação, escolheram-se as salas de aula, laboratórios, salas de apoio e as salas administrativas, para identificar a ocorrência de ruído acima do estabelecido pela Norma Brasileira (NBR 10152) e comparar com os dados bibliográficos. Em cada ambiente, que apresentam a presença de alunos, mediram-se os níveis sonoros equivalentes (Leqs) e os níveis de pressão máximos e mínimos (NPSmáx. e NPSmín.). Foram realizadas medições dos espectros de freqüência, tanto no ambiente quanto em indivíduos específicos, permitindo analisar o tipo de ruído. Realizou-se, como uma ação paralela, questionários, junto a servidores e alunos, indagando sobre as condições ambientais e acústicas. Todos os dados foram tratados estatisticamente. Comparando-se os níveis equivalentes recomendados pela Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas para salas de aula e laboratórios [40 a 50 dB(A)], bibliotecas [35 a 45 dB(A)] e circulação e áreas comuns [45 a 55 dB(A)], observa-se que, independente do turno, todos os valores encontrados estão acima dos valores máximos estipulados pela norma. As salas de aula e laboratórios apresentaram Leq médio de 71,6 dB (A), com NPSmáx de 105dB(A) e NPSmín. de 40,4 dB (A), onde se tem como fontes de ruído as vozes, movimentação de mobiliário, equipamentos de laboratório e circulação de pessoas. Nas áreas de circulação, bar e ginásio ocorre um Leq médio de 74,8 dB (A), com NPSmáx de 97,1 dB (A) e NPSmín de 49,0 dB (A), sendo a grande fonte de ruído as vozes entre alunos. Finalizando, foram medidas as salas administrativas e de apoio onde foi encontrado um Leq médio de 70,1 dB (A), com NPSmáx de 108,6 dB (A) e NPSmín de 55,7 dB (A), para as seguintes fontes de ruído: vozes, sistema de ar condicionado, telefone e movimentação de mobiliário. Esses resultados comprovam que na Fundação existem os mesmos níveis de ruído que em outros países.Palavras-chave: Ruído; som; acústica.AbstractThis paper presents an analysis of noise levels at locals which are used for teaching at Fundação Escola Técnica Liberato Salzano Vieira da Cunha, in Novo Hamburgo. We can find a great number of researches showing that noise levels in schools are high due to the presence of fans, heating systems, laboratory equipment, people talking, and also the fact that the government, school directors, teachers and students are not always concerned and aware of the negative effects of noise upon human health and student output. Classrooms, courses, support and administrative rooms were chosen to be analyzed at Fundação Liberato. It is believed that noise levels higher than those established by the Brazilian law (NBR 10152) will be found. Frequency spectrum were carried out, both on environment and humans, this way allowing the analysis of the kind of noise. A parallel research was developed through a questionnaire answered by employees, teachers and students about environmental condition and acoustic. It was observed that, in the morning, afternoon or evening, all values were higher when compared with the Brazilian Association of Technical Rules for the classrooms and laboratories [35 to 45 dB(A)], libraries [35 to 45 dB(A)], and circulation and common areas. Classrooms and laboratories show medium Leq of 71,7 dB(A), with SPLmax of 105 dB(A) and minimum of 40,5 dB(A), where we find noise sources such as voices, furniture and laboratory equipment movement and circulation of people. A medium Leq of 74,8 dB(A), with SPLmax. Of 97,1 dB(A) and SPLmin. of 49 dB(A) occur at circulation areas, bar and gymnasium – the greatest source is the noise among students. The administrative and support rooms were also measured. In these rooms, a medium Leq of 70,1 dB(A), with maximum SPL of 108,6 dB(A) and minimum of 55,7 dB(A) were found for the following noises sources: voices, air-conditioning system, telephone, and furniture movement.Key words: Noise; acustics; sound

Sport for development and peace: Power, politics, and patronage

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) is a rapidly growing field of activity in which sport is used as an intervention tool in order to pursue wider, non-sporting social goals. Organized into three main parts, this paper examines issues of power, politics, and patronage with respect to the SDP sector’s organization and the implementation of programmes particularly in the global South. First, drawing on a sociological approach broadly derived from Pierre Bourdieu, we examine how the SDP sector is structured, featuring a variety of stakeholders with different interests and aspirations; we explore in particular the potential influence of relatively marginal campaign groups and new social movements. Second, we identify the complex issues and challenges of patronage and mutuality that arise in international SDP work involving the global North (donor) and global South (recipient) in the post-colonial context. Third, we consider how these issues impact upon the design, implementation and effects of SDP programmes with particular reference to relations of power between the global North and South. We conclude by advancing the case for a ‘bottom-up’, and more culturally and politically sensitive approach to be adopted by SDP stakeholders, particularly those based in the global North

Continuous GPS and broad-scale deformation across the Rhine Graben and the Alps

In order to study the ongoing tectonic deformation in the Rhine Graben area, we reconstruct the local crustal velocity and the strain rate field from GPS array solutions. Following the aim of this work, we compile the velocities of permanent GPS stations belonging to various networks (EUREF, AGNES, REGAL and RGP) in central western Europe. Moreover, the strain rate field is displayed in terms of principal axes and values, while the normal and the shear components of the strain tensor are calculated perpendicular and parallel to the strike of major faults. The results are compared with the fault plane solutions of earthquakes, which have occurred in this area. A broad-scale kinematic deformation model across the Rhine Graben is provided on the basis of tectonics and velocity results of the GPS permanent stations. The area of study is divided into four rigid blocks, between which there might be relative motions. The velocity and the strain rate fields are reconstructed along their borders, by estimating a uniform rotation for each block. The tectonic behaviour is well represented by the four-block model in the Rhine Graben area, while a more detailed model will be needed for a better reconstruction of the strain field in the Alpine regio