Optimized video streaming over 802.11 by cross-layer signaling

Seamless video streaming over wireless links imposes strong demands on video codecs and the underlying network. It is not sufficient that only the video codec or only the radio adapts to changes in the wireless link quality; efforts should be applied in both layers, and - if possible - synchronized. Also, the disturbing effect of possible background traffic over the same shared medium has to be taken into account. In this article we present a communication architecture for video streaming over 802.11 that is capable of adapting to changes in the link quality and sharing of the wireless channel in various use scenarios. Experimental results show that substantial improvements in the quality of the video can be obtained by applying link adaptation and cross-layer signaling techniques.     

Simulation of the slug flow of a gas-liquid system in capillaries

A mathematical model for the gas-liquid slug flow in a capillary is developed. The velocity profiles in the bubble, film, and interbubble liquid are calculated. The calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental data of other researchers. The experimentally found bifurcational behavior of the slip velocity of bubbles relative to the two-phase mixture reported in the literature is described and supported by the theory. The reasons for which the bubble can stop in a small-diameter dead-end capillary are discussed.     

Use of zeolite-rich rocks and waste materials for the production of structural lightweight concretes

This paper aims at testing the use of mixtures constituted by natural zeolitized products and SiC-bearing industrial wastes (sludge deriving from polishing of porcelain stoneware tiles, hereafter DPM) for the production of lightweight expanded aggregates as constituents of structural and/or thermo-insulating lightweight concretes. Two commercial products have been used as zeolite natural source: Cab70 (Yellow facies of Campanian Ignimbrite) and IZclino (Turkish clinoptilolite-rich epiclastite). Different amounts of a calcareous material (Pozzano limestones — hereafter CP) from the Sorrento peninsula (Naples — Italy) were also added to a Cab70–DPM mixture. All raw materials were characterized by means of mineralogical (XRPD) and chemical (XRF) analyses. All the products and mixtures were tested from a technological point of view by means of fusibility and firing tests in order to evaluate the expanding properties. It was evidenced that the expansion of the mixture was deeply depending on the occurrence of SiC in the industrial waste. The addition of CP (10 wt.%) to the mixtures accounts for an even increased expansion, though this is accompanied by a worsening of the mechanical features of the material.These results along with literature data allowed to select 3 mixtures (70% Cab70–30% DPM, 70% IZclino–30% DPM, 60% Cab70–30% DPM–10% CP) and each of them was used for the preparation of 5 l of lightweight aggregates afterward employed for the manufacture of lightweight concretes. It was remarked that natural zeolitized materials mixed with DPM (30 wt.%) can provide lightweight aggregates with densities ranging between 0.8 and 1.0 g/cm³ suitable for the preparation of structural lightweight concretes. The addition to the mixture of CP (10 wt.%) produces less dense aggregates (0.6–0.7 g/cm³) potentially useful for the manufacture of thermo insulating lightweight concretes.     

Diesel fuel oxidation in storage

Diesel fuel should satisfy the European standards of quality even after long-term storage. The oxidation of diesel fuel, factors affecting this process, and their interaction mechanisms were studied in this work. Based on the results, conditions for the long-term storage of diesel fuel, including the type of storage tanks, can be determined.     

Modeling the effect of pigment morphology on the dynamic compression of coating layers using DEM

In the present paper, discrete element method (DEM) was employed to investigate the effect of pigment morphology on packing dynamics and compressive behavior of paper coating layers in calendering process. Spherical, platy, and needle-like particles, representing GCC, delaminated clay, and aragonite PCC pigments, were considered in this study. For each particle shape, the compression of coating structures formed by mono-sized and poly-dispersed pigments were modeled. Stress–strain behavior of the coating layers and in-plane and out-of-plane movements of the pigment particles during the compression were computed under the same maximum compressive stress. Simulation results revealed that the in-plane movements of the pigment particles during compression in the calender nip were small in magnitude (<0.35 μm). These findings help to better understand the smoothening phenomena of coating structures during the calendering process.     

Efficiency of selective crushing with pneumatic separation for the third unit in the OAO NTMK coal-preparation shop 2. Equipment and operating conditions

The efficiency of selective crushing with pneumomechanical separation is investigated as a function of the quality of the coal batch and the operating conditions of the fluidized-bed separator.     

Esthetic decision‐making: How do people select colours for real settings?

A feature of the empirical literature in colour psychology is that little attention has been given to how people in real settings engage in colour selection. Surprisingly, with rare exceptions, we know almost nothing about this. Besides its theoretical significance within psychology, this question has practical implications for industries where colour choice is important. A study is reported into that most ubiquitous of activities, selecting a paint colour for the home. This used a retrospective method supported by qualitative data analysis (NVivo) in which participants described their process of colour selection. The results indicate a process that is far from uniform, but one that consists of two essential stages. The first involves arriving at what we refer to as an affective specification of the qualities sought. Once constructed, this leads to the second stage of matching colour attributes to that specification. Selecting a wall colour emerges as a surprisingly complex process, and one that corresponds more closely to a search than to a simple affective choice. A parallel is drawn with decision research, particularly the field of naturalistic decision‐making. From participants' reports, colour selection also emerges as a process that women appear to understand better than men. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 55–60, 2008