A utility-based priority scheduling scheme for multimedia delivery over LTE networks

With the mobile networks migrating towards LTE-Advanced and all-IP networks, people expect to connect to the Internet anytime, anywhere and from any IP-connected device. Moreover, nowadays people tend to spend much of their time consuming multimedia content from various devices with heterogeneous characteristics (e.g., TV screen, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.). In order to support uninterrupted, continuous, and smooth video streaming with reduced delay, jitter, and packet loss to their customers, network operators must be able to differentiate between their offerings according to device characteristics, including screen resolution. This paper proposes a novel Utility-based Priority Scheduling (UPS) algorithm which considers device differentiation when supporting high quality delivery of multimedia services over LTE networks. The priority decision is based on device classification, mobile device energy consumption and multimedia stream tolerance to packet loss ratio. Simulation results demonstrate the benefits of the proposed priority-based scheduling algorithm in comparison with two classic approaches

DOAS: device-oriented adaptive multimedia scheme for 3GPP LTE systems

The growing popularity of the high-end mobile computing devices – smartphones, tablets, notebooks and more – equipped with high-speed network access, enables the mobile user to watch multimedia content from any source on any screen, at any time, while on the move or stationary. In this context, the network operators must ensure smooth video streaming with the lowest service delay, jitter, and packet loss. This paper proposes a resource efficient Device-Oriented Adaptive Multimedia Scheme (DOAS) built on top of the downlink scheduler in LTE-Advanced systems. DOAS bases its adaptation decision on the end-user device display resolution information and Quality of Service (QoS). DOAS is implemented on top of the Proportional Fair (PF) and the well-known Modified Largest Weighted Delay First (M-LWDF) scheduling algorithms within the 3GPP LTE/LTE-Advanced system. The performance of the proposed adaptive multimedia scheme was analyzed and compared against a non-adaptive solution in terms of throughput, packet loss and PSNR

Device-oriented energy-aware utility-based priority scheduler for video streaming over LTE system

Nowadays people tend to spend most of their time in front of a screen, and expect to be able to connect to the Internet anytime and anywhere and from any type of mobile device. Therefore, fast surfing speed on Internet, high resolution display screen, advanced multi-core processor and lasting battery support are becoming the significant standards in the nowadays mobile devices. In this context the network operators must be able to differentiate between their multiscreen offerings in order to ensure uninterrupted, continuous, and smooth video streaming with minimal delay, jitter, and packet loss. This paper proposes a novel Device-Oriented Energy-Aware Utility-based Priority scheduling (DE-UPS) algorithm which makes use of device differentiation in order to ensure seamless multimedia services over LTE networks. The priority decision is based on the device classification, energy consumption of the mobile device and the multimedia stream tolerance to packet loss ratio

PHENOTYPIC CORRELATIONS BETWEEN PRODUCTIVITY ELEMENTS OF RED CLOVER (TRIFOLIUM PRATENSE L.)

Studying the correlations between productivity elements of red clover (green matter, dry matter and seed yield) is a very important aspect of breeding programs because it helps obtaining highly productive cultivars. Positive correlations, statistically assured, were observed between green and dry matter yields in both years of vegetation, for both groups of ploidy. Negative correlations were noticed between seed yield and first cut green matter yield in the 2nd year, for diploids and between seed yield and total green and dry matter in the 1st year, for tetraploids

E³DOAS: balancing QoE and energy-saving for multi-device adaptation in future mobile wireless video delivery

Smart devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, smart-home devices, etc.) have become important companions to most people in their daily activities, and are very much used for multimedia content exchange (i.e. video sharing, real-time/non-real-time multimedia streaming), contributing to the exponential increase in mobile traffic over the current wireless networks. While the next generation mobile networks will provide higher capacity than the current 4G systems, the network operators will face important challenges associated with the outstanding increase of both video traffic and user expectations in terms of their levels of perceived quality or Quality of Experience (QoE). Furthermore, the heterogeneity of mobile devices (e.g. screen resolution, battery life, hardware performance) also impacts severely the end-user QoE. In this context, this paper proposes an Evolved QoE-aware Energy-saving Device-Oriented Adaptive Scheme (E3DOAS ) for mobile multimedia delivery over future wireless networks. E3DOAS makes use of a coalition game-based rate allocation strategy within the multi-device heterogeneous environment, and optimizes the trade-off between the end-user perceived quality of the multimedia delivery and the mobile device energy-saving. Testing has involved a prototype of E3DOAS, a crowd-sourcing-based QoE assessment method to model non-reference perceptual video quality, and an energy measurement testbed introduced to collect power consumption parameters of the mobile devices. Simulation-based performance evaluation showed how E3DOAS outperformed other state of the art multimedia adaptive solutions in terms of energy saving, end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) metrics and end-user perceived quality

NAMA Members\u27 Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility

As corporate social responsibility becomes increasingly important within organizations, it is imperative that professionals define their role in setting the CSR agenda. Through a descriptive survey, this study investigated National Agri-Marketing Association members’ perceptions of their roles in CSR and acceptable practices for releasing data about an organization. Respondents were neutral that the agricultural communications industry has a clear code of ethics and standards of performance. NAMA members agreed that developing programs that are good for society is both good for business and good citizenship, and that public relations professionals should be deeply involved in helping management define an organization’s social role. A majority of respondents reported working for an organization that recruited and hired employees who had an agricultural communications major, and had worked with someone who had an agricultural communications major, but were unsure of their preparation, management skills, and strategic thinking skills. Agricultural communications programs should take this perception into account and incorporate these three issues into their curriculum. No research was found that discussed CSR and public relations in the agriculture industry. With this study, agricultural public relations practitioners might see their role in CSR and the need for a clear code of ethics to unify the industry. This study creates a foundation for additional studies of agricultural public relations professionals, delving deeper into more specific roles related to CSR

User quality of experience of mulsemedia applications

User Quality of Experience (QoE) is of fundamental importance in multimedia applications and has been extensively studied for decades. However, user QoE in the context of the emerging multiple-sensorial media (mulsemedia) services, which involve different media components than the traditional multimedia applications, have not been comprehensively studied. This article presents the results of subjective tests which have investigated user perception of mulsemedia content. In particular, the impact of intensity of certain mulsemedia components including haptic and airflow on user-perceived experience are studied. Results demonstrate that by making use of mulsemedia the overall user enjoyment levels increased by up to 77%

Free to move or trapped in your group: Mathematical modeling of information overload and coordination in crowded populations

We present modeling strategies that describe the motion and interaction of groups of pedestrians in obscured spaces. We start off with an approach based on balance equations in terms of measures and then we exploit the descriptive power of a probabilistic cellular automaton model. Based on a variation of the simple symmetric random walk on the square lattice, we test the interplay between population size and an interpersonal attraction parameter for the evacuation of confined and darkened spaces. We argue that information overload and coordination costs associated with information processing in small groups are two key processes that influence the evacuation rate. Our results show that substantial computational resources are necessary to compensate for incomplete information -- the more individuals in (information processing) groups the higher the exit rate for low population size. For simple social systems, it is likely that the individual representations are not redundant and large group sizes ensure that this non--redundant information is actually available to a substantial number of individuals. For complex social systems information redundancy makes information evaluation and transfer inefficient and, as such, group size becomes a drawback rather than a benefit. The effect of group sizes on outgoing fluxes, evacuation times and wall effects are carefully studied with a Monte Carlo framework accounting also for the presence of an internal obstacle

The Experience of the Republic of Moldova in Reforming the Accounting System and Its Harmonization with Ifrs and European Directives

Reforming the accounting system in the Republic of Moldova and its harmonization with IFRS and European directives takes almost three decades and is a complex technical route which involves important financial and human resources. The given paper aims to present and interpret the way in which the accounting system reform was achieved, how international accounting standards and European directives have been transported into national legislation in order to identify the main waves of the accounting reform and the regulatory changes made by the regulator, of the benefits and costs, advantages and disadvantages arising from the implementation of the reformed regulatory framework. The responses are obtained by applying, as a method of research, the phenomenological interpretive analysis, the documentary and analytical research, the comparative opinion and analysis, thus being categorized as a qualitative empirical research. The results and conclusions of the study will serve as the basis and lessons learned for future reforms. However, knowing the past is building the future