Dynamic Load Balancing for Massively Multiplayer Online Games

In recent years, there has been an important growth of online gaming. Today’s Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) can contain millions of synchronous players scattered across the world and participating with each other within a single shared game. Traditional Client/Server architectures of MMOGs exhibit different problems in scalability, reliability, and latency, as well as the cost of adding new servers when demand is too high. P2P architecture provides considerable support for scalability of MMOGs. It also achieves good response times by supporting direct connections between players. This thesis proposes a novel hybrid Peer-to-Peer architecture for MMOGs and a new dynamic load balancing for massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) based this hybrid Peer-to-Peer architecture. We have divided the game world space into several regions. Each region in the game world space is controlled and managed by using both a super-peer and a clone-super-peer. The region's super-peer is responsible for distributing the game update among the players inside the region, as well as managing the game communications between the players. However, the clone-super-peer is responsible for controlling the players' migration from one region to another, in addition to be the super-peer of the region when the super-peer leaves the game. In this thesis, we have designed and simulated a static and dynamic Area of Interest Management (AoIM) for MMOGs based on both architectures hybrid P2P and client-server with the possibility of players to move from one region to another. In this thesis also, we have designed and evaluated the static and dynamic load balancing for MMOGs based on hybrid P2P architecture. We have used OPNET Modeler 18.0 to simulate and evaluate the proposed system, especially standard applications, custom applications, TDMA and RX Group. Our dynamic load balancer is responsible for distributing the load among the regions in the game world space. The position of the load balancer is located between the game server and the regions. The results, following extensive experiments, show that low delay and higher traffic communication can be achieved using both of hybrid P2P architecture, static and dynamic AoIM, dynamic load balancing for MMOGs based on hybrid P2P system

Simulation of Area of Interest Management for Massively Multiplayer Online Games Using OPNET

In recent years, there has been an important growth of online gaming. Today’s Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) can contain millions of synchronous players scattered across the world and participating with each other within a single shared game. The increase in the number of players in MMOGs has led to some issues with the demand of server which generates a significant increase in costs for the game industry and impacts to the quality of service offered to players. With the number of players gradually increasing, servers still need to work efficiently under heavy load and, new researches are required to improve the established MMOG system architectures. In dealing with a considerable scale of massively multiplayer online games, several client-server and peer-to-peer solutions have been proposed. Although they have improved the scalability of MMOGs in different degrees, they faced new serious challenges in interest management. In this paper, we propose a novel static area of interest management in order to reduce the delay and traffic of Hybrid P2P MMOGs. We propose to use OPNET Modeler 18.0, and in particular the custom application to simulate the new architecture, which required the implementation of new nodes models and behaviors in the simulator to emulate correctly the new architecture. The scenarios include both client-server and hybrid P2P system to evaluate the communication of games with (125, 500, and 1000) peers. The simulation results show that area of interest management for MMOGs based on the hybrid P2P architectures have low delay and traffic received compared with MMOGs based on client-server system

Evaluation of Scalability and Communication in MMOGs

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) can involve millions of synchronous players scattered across the world and participating with each other within a single shared game. One of the most significant issues in MMOGs is scalability and it is impact on the responsiveness and the quality of the game. In this paper, we propose a new architecture to increase the scalability without affecting the responsiveness of the game, using a hybrid Peer-to-Peer system. This mechanism consists of central servers to control and manage the game state, as well as super-peer and clone-super-peer to control and manage sub-networks of nodes sharing common regions of the game world. We use the OPNET Modeler to simulate the system and compare the results with client/server system to show the difference in delay and traffic received for various applications such as remote login, database, HTTP, and FTP sessions which are all part of an MMOG system. We use four scenarios for each system to evaluate the scalability of the system with different number of peers (i.e.125, 250, 500, and 1000 peers). The results show that the hybrid P2P system is more scalable for MMOGs when compared with client/server system

Challenges in the Management of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II (Hunter’s Syndrome) in a Developing Country: a Case Report

BACKGROUND: Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (Hunter's syndrome) is an X-linked chromosomal storage disorder due to deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase with patients rarely living till adulthood. Failure to identify patients early could contribute to an increased morbidity as identified in this case report.CASE DETAILS: An eight year old patient with Hunter's syndrome identified five years after disease onset with severe cardiovascular complications exemplifies the challenges faced in resource-limited countries towards making diagnosis and treatment of rare conditions. Elevated urinary glycosaminoglycans levels or a strong clinical suspicion of Hunter's syndrome, as identified in the index case, is a prerequisite for enzyme activity testing. Urinary mucopolysaccharide(MPS) level was 69.6mg/mmol(normal range is 0.0 - 11.6mg/mmol), and the confirming MPS electrophoresis analysis showed elevated heparan sulphate in the urine sample. Enzyme activity testing, with absent or very low iduronate-2-sulfatase activity, is diagnostic. However, the scarce availability and high cost of these tests is another constraint in making a diagnosis.CONCLUSION: Identification and management of mucopolysaccharidosis type II pose a problem in resource-constrained countries due to late presentation, lack of facility for diagnosis and treatment, cost and expertise required for the management.KEYWORDS: Mucopolysaccharidosis, Hunter's syndrome, Mucopolysaccharid

About the origin of the acrocentric part of non-acrocentric satellited chromosomes in humans

Here we characterized 11 healthy carriers of a non-acrocentric satellited chromosomes der(A)t(A;acro)(pter or qter;p1?1.2) to determine the frequency of chromosome 15p and 22p in such rearrangement

An Assessment of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) Utilization in Two Selected University Libraries in Lagos State, Nigeria.

The main purpose of this study was to assess the computerized catalogue and its utilization in university libraries in Lagos state. Survey research method was employed for the study. The population for the study was drawn from two university libraries in Lagos state that have automated their catalogues. These libraries are the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Lagos state University (LASU). Four research questions were formulated for the study. The instrument used to collect data for the study was the questionnaire. Undergraduate student, Postgraduate student,Researchers and Staff constituted the respondents for the study. The data obtained were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. It was found out that the computerized catalogue is a very important service for any librarysystem, because this has helped the users in their information seeking. Some problems faced with Computerized Catalogues include shortage of terminals, improper working OPAC modules and lack of proper orientation. The need to acquire necessary software, need for proper orientation as well as provision of more OPAC terminals were recommended

Relationship between pulmonary function tests, sputum eosinophilia and total serum IgE levels among asthmatic patients in Duhok, Iraq

Background: Bronchial asthma is a disease characterized by reversible airway obstruction, airway inflammation; and hyper-responsiveness. The prevalence of asthma is high, and both its prevalence and burden have increased over the last several decades. The study of inflammatory markers has implications for the appropriate management of this disease. Inflammatory markers has implications for the appropriate management of this disease. Objective of the study is to determine the correlation between asthma severity using pulmonary function tests with sputum eosinophilia and total serum IgE levels.Methods: This case-control study was conducted from March 2017 to September 2018 in the respiratory unit of Azadi general teaching hospital. It included 42 asthmatic patients and 18 healthy subjects. They underwent pulmonary function tests and measurement of total serum IgE levels. Induced sputum was done for asthmatic patients.Results: The age of asthmatic patients ranged from 16-70 years (mean 42±19 years). The asthmatic patient’s female: male ratio was 1.8. Mild asthma was the most common severity group (N=18, 43%) followed by moderate asthma (N=14, 33%) then severe asthma (N=10, 24%). Abnormal sputum eosinophilia (≥3%) was detected in 90% of severe asthma (N=9) compared to 36% in moderate asthma (N=5) and 5.6% in mild asthma (N=1). There was significant statistical association between asthma severity and sputum eosinophilia (p=0.00004). The association between asthma severity and total serum IgE levels was highly significant (p<0.0000) with levels of total serum IgE increasing as the severity of asthma increases.Conclusions: Severe asthma is the least common severity group in this study. Both abnormal sputum eosinophilia and total serum IgE levels are associated with the severity of asthma

Physicochemical Assessment of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Supplemented with a Mixture of Ginger, Garlic and Cinnamon

Some physicochemical changes in broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with a mixture of ginger, garlic and cinnamon was evaluated. During starter phase, 150 broiler chicks were divided into groups A and B of 75 birds each, and were randomly fed diets 1 and 2 respectively for 3 weeks. The average weekly weight gain by the chickens maintained on the mixed spices supplemented diet (235.15±15.55g) was significantly lower (p&lt;0.05)compared with the weight gain by the control (274.26±20.23g) in the Starter phase. In the Finisher phase, group A was sub-divided into groups C and D while group B was subdivided into groups E and F and fed for additional 3 weeks. The average weekly weight gain by groups C (242.31±4.97g), D (282.46±15.04g), E (260.14±81.11g) and F (236.67±24.29g) did not vary significantly. The evaluated carcass characteristics and haematological indices when compared with the control did not vary significantly. The serum cholesterol levels (mg/dl) in groups D (101.40±4.13), E (106.60±4.59) and F (100.20±9.83) were significantly lower (p&lt;0.05) in comparison with the level in group C (127.00±8.83). Groups E (46.96±8.62mg/dl) and F (47.44±6.35mg/dl) had significantly (p&lt;0.05) lower LDL-C compared with the control (70.56±8.75mg/dl). Therefore, mixture of ginger, garlic and cinnamon may have no effects on the overall weight gain, carcass traits and haematological profiles but could decrease the risk of atherogenesis and CVD in broiler chickens. Keywords: Cinnamon; ginger; garlic; spices; physicochemica

The role of strict patient-positioning during nursing in the management of intracerebral migration of gravitational bullet injury

The intracranial migration of bullet was described in literature since Cushing time and the First World War [1]. The literature is still away from delivering a clear guideline and constitutes more of case reports rather than comprehensive well-designed studies [2-13], this mostly due to the variability and diversity in the presentation and management of such cases. The migration of bullet can be a sequel of any type of penetrating injury to the skull [14]. Intracranial migration after gravitational (falling) bullet injury is a unique type of injury that constitutes of significant human and material losses with differences in biomechanics and structural brain changes after the insult especially regarding the velocity of impact and the degree of yaw for the intracranially settled bullet [15]. The gravitational bullets injuries are considered by the international disease classification system as celebratory firing, that is quite common and is part of the traditional happy (marriage) or funeral event in the middle east in general and in rural areas of Iraq in particular, and also reported in some areas around the world (South America, North Africa, and middle of Asia) [15,16]

Microscopic trans-cerebellar approach for infratentorial cavernous malformation near the lateral recess associated with developmental venous anomaly: Case report

Background: Reports showed the intimate association of the developmental venous anomaly with infra-tentorial cavernous malformation. This association has several clinical and surgical implications, sometimes this association will be a surgical challenge and affect the selection of the safest approach to the lesion. Surgery for infratentorial cavernoma is indicated for accessible symptomatic lesion only. Case scenario: we present a case of deep cerebello-pontine CM adjacent to the lateral recess, presented with acute clinical deterioration to the emergency department of the Neurosurgery Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, with the only possible approach was Trans-cerebellar approach because of the medial location of the associated DVA. Conclusion: The association of developmental venous anomaly with infratentorial cavernous malformation has a pivotal role in selection the most appropriate and safe surgical approach which should be based upon the individualized patient anatomy and the location of the target lesion