Beyond multimedia adaptation: Quality of experience-aware multi-sensorial media delivery

Multiple sensorial media (mulsemedia) combines multiple media elements which engage three or more of human senses, and as most other media content, requires support for delivery over the existing networks. This paper proposes an adaptive mulsemedia framework (ADAMS) for delivering scalable video and sensorial data to users. Unlike existing two-dimensional joint source-channel adaptation solutions for video streaming, the ADAMS framework includes three joint adaptation dimensions: video source, sensorial source, and network optimization. Using an MPEG-7 description scheme, ADAMS recommends the integration of multiple sensorial effects (i.e., haptic, olfaction, air motion, etc.) as metadata into multimedia streams. ADAMS design includes both coarse- and fine-grained adaptation modules on the server side: mulsemedia flow adaptation and packet priority scheduling. Feedback from subjective quality evaluation and network conditions is used to develop the two modules. Subjective evaluation investigated users' enjoyment levels when exposed to mulsemedia and multimedia sequences, respectively and to study users' preference levels of some sensorial effects in the context of mulsemedia sequences with video components at different quality levels. Results of the subjective study inform guidelines for an adaptive strategy that selects the optimal combination for video segments and sensorial data for a given bandwidth constraint and user requirement. User perceptual tests show how ADAMS outperforms existing multimedia delivery solutions in terms of both user perceived quality and user enjoyment during adaptive streaming of various mulsemedia content. In doing so, it highlights the case for tailored, adaptive mulsemedia delivery over traditional multimedia adaptive transport mechanisms

Quality of experience study for multiple sensorial media delivery

Traditional video sequences make use of both visual images and audio tracks which are perceived by human eyes and ears, respectively. In order to present better ultra-reality virtual experience, the comprehensive human sensations (e.g. olfaction, haptic, gustatory, etc) needed to be exploited. In this paper, a multiple sensorial media (mulsemedia) delivery system is introduced to deliver multimedia sequences integrated with multiple media components which engage three or more of human senses such as sight, hearing, olfaction, haptic, gustatory, etc. Three sensorial effects (i.e. haptic, olfaction, and air-flowing) are selected for the purpose of demonstration. Subjective test is conducted to analyze the user perceived quality of experience of the mulsemedia service. It is concluded that the mulsemedia sequences can partly mask the decreased movie quality. Additionally the most preferable sensorial effect is haptic, followed by air-flowing and olfaction.This work was supported in part by Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership programme

Equine sarcoids: Bovine Papillomavirus type 1 transformed fibroblasts are sensitive to cisplatin and UVB induced apoptosis and show aberrant expression of p53

Bovine papillomavirus type 1 infects not only cattle but also equids and is a causative factor in the pathogenesis of commonly occurring equine sarcoid tumours. Whilst treatment of sarcoids is notoriously difficult, cisplatin has been shown to be one of the most effective treatment strategies for sarcoids. In this study we show that in equine fibroblasts, BPV-1 sensitises cells to cisplatin-induced and UVB-induced apoptosis, a known cofactor for papillomavirus associated disease, however BPV-1 transformed fibroblasts show increased clonogenic survival, which may potentially limit the therapeutic effects of repeated cisplatin treatment. Furthermore we show that BPV-1 increases p53 expression in sarcoid cell lines and p53 expression can be either nuclear or cytoplasmic. The mechanism and clinical significance of increase/abnormal p53 expression remains to be established

The M33 Synoptic Stellar Survey. II. Mira Variables

We present the discovery of 1847 Mira candidates in the Local Group galaxy M33 using a novel semi-parametric periodogram technique coupled with a Random Forest classifier. The algorithms were applied to ~2.4x10^5 I-band light curves previously obtained by the M33 Synoptic Stellar Survey. We derive preliminary Period-Luminosity relations at optical, near- & mid-infrared wavelengths and compare them to the corresponding relations in the Large Magellanic Cloud.Comment: Includes small corrections to match the published versio

Investigation of ship-bank, ship-bottom and ship-ship interactions by using potential flow method

The authors were inspired by the benchmark model test data in MASHCON [1, 2] and carried out some numerical studies on ship-bank, ship-bottom and ship-ship interactions based on potential flow method in the last few years. In the confined waterways, many researchers question the applicability of the classical potential flow method. The main objective of the present paper is to present some validations of the 3D boundary element method (BEM) against the model test data to exam the feasibility of the potential method in predicting the hydrodynamic behaviour of the ships in confined water. The methodology used in the present paper is a 3D boundary element method based on Rankine type Green function. The numerical simulation is based on the in-house developed multi-body hydrodynamic interaction program MHydro. We calculate the wave elevations and forces (or moments) when the ship is manoeuvring in shallow and narrow channel, or when the two ships is travelling side by side or crossing each other. These calculations are compared with the benchmark test data, as well as the published CFD results. Generally, the agreement between the present calculations and model test and CFD results are satisfactory, which indicates that the potential flow method and developed program are still capable to predict the hydrodynamic interaction involved in ship-bank, ship-bottom and ship-ship problem