Construction of baselines for VoIP traffic management on open MANs

In the last century, owing to the constant evolution of technologies telecommunication networks have become increasingly robust, being able to support multiple services. These services are part of the heterogeneous network traffic that can be carried through the Internet. Many of these services, including VoIP, are latency sensitive. In other words, this means that their quality depends directly on the network quality of service. Since users tend to become more sensitive with the instability and unavailability of the network, it is important to improve traffic management. A particular type of data that could be used to improve VoIP traffic management is the Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR). IPDRs are tickets created by all VoIP call attempts which contain a group of information related to the call history. Because of its full range of information, IPDRs can be used to create VoIP traffic baselines. This paper presents the development of baselines based on IPDRs to support VoIP traffic management in open‐access Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consistency,availability, and partition tolerance in blockchain: a survey on the consensus mechanism over peer-to-peer networking

Annals of Telecommunications - Blockchain is a disruptive technology that relies on the distributed nature of the peer-to-peer network while performing an agreement, or consensus, a mechanism to...     

Dynamic utility and price based radio resource management for rate adaptive traffic

This paper explores analytical Radio Resource Management models where the relationship between users and services is mapped through utility functions. Compared to other applications of these models to networking, we focus in particular on specific aspects of multimedia systems with adaptive traffic, and propose a novel framework for describing and investigating dynamic allocation of resources in wireless networks. In doing so, we also consider economic aspects, such as the financial needs of the provider and the users’ reaction to prices. As an example of how our analytical tool can be used, in this paper we compare different classes of RRM strategies, e.g., Best Effort vs. Guaranteed Performance, for which we explore the relationships between Radio Resource Allocation, pricing, provider’s revenue, network capacity and users’ satisfaction. Finally, we present a discussion about Economic Admission Control, which can be applied in Best Effort scenarios to further improve the performance. Part of this work has been presented at the conference ACM/IEEE MSWiM 2004, Venice (Italy). Leonardo Badia received a Laurea degree (with honors) in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in information engineering from the University of Ferrara, Italy, in 2000 and 2004, respectively. He was a Research Fellow at the University of Ferrara from 2001 to 2006. During these years, he also had collaborations with the University of Padova, Italy, and Wireless@KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. In 2006, he joined the “Institutions Markets Technologies” (IMT) Institute for Advanced Studies, Lucca, Italy, where he is currently a Research Fellow. His research interests include wireless ad hoc and mesh networks, analysis of transmission protocols, optimization tools and economic models applied to radio resource management. Michele Zorzi received a Laurea degree and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Padova in 1990 and 1994, respectively. During academic year 1992–1993, he was on leave at UCSD, attending graduate courses and doing research on multiple access in mobile radio networks. In 1993 he joined the faculty of the Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, Italy. After spending three years with the Center for Wireless Communications at UCSD, in 1998 he joined the School of Engineering of the University of Ferrara, Italy, where he became a professor in 2000. Since November 2003 he has been on the faculty at the Information Engineering Department of the University of Padova. His present research interests include performance evaluation in mobile communications systems, random access in mobile radio networks, ad hoc and sensor networks, energy constrained communications protocols, and broadband wireless access. He was Editor-In-Chief of IEEE Wireless Communications, 2003–2005, and currently serves on the Editorial Boards of IEEE Transactions on Communications, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, Wiley’s Journal of Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, and ACM/URSI/Kluwer Journal of Wireless Networks, and on the Steering Committee of the IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing. He has also been a Guest Editor of special issues in IEEE Personal Communications (Energy Management in Personal Communications Systems) and IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications (Multimedia Network Radios).     

Diagnosis of learner dropout based on learning styles for online distance learning

The amount of data generated by computer systems in Online Distance Learning (ODL) contains rich information. One example of this information we define as the Learner Learning Trail (LLT), which is the sequence of interactions between the students and the virtual environment. Another example is the Learner Learning Style (LLS), which is associated with the student behavior and choices during the learning process. This information can be used to identify learner behavior and learning style. We perceived, after the study of related literature, that the research field of learner diagnosis for ODL does not apply the conjoint use of LLT and LLS. In this article, we propose a model capable of integrating data generated from the behavior of students in ODL with cognitive aspects of them, such as their Learning Styles, by crossing LLT with LLS. We also propose the CPAD method (Collect, Preprocessing, Analysis, Diagnosis), which is implemented by collecting the raw data regarding learning activities, preprocessing the data into structured time sequences, analyzing the sequences regarding the learning styles and using this analysis to diagnose the learner behavior. We selected the dropout to investigate, once the dropout rate in ODL is a real problem in universities around the world. In addition, the dropout is a student decision which can be associated with previous students behaviors. We performed a study with 202 learners to evaluate if learning styles are capable of explaining aspects of the student behavior. The results suggest that Sequential/Global learning style dimension is more capable of explaining the dropout than the other dimensions. Also, we performed four classification experiments to verify how the dimensions of Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model influence the learner diagnosis. We perceived that the Sequential/Global dimension could provide a higher accuracy average with lower variation independently of the diagnosis technique.     

Nanotechnology‐Enabled Closed Loop Insulin Delivery Device: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Glucose‐Regulated Insulin Release for Diabetes Control

Recently, a new multifunctional, bio‐inorganic nanocomposite membrane with the ability to self‐regulate the release of insulin in response to blood glucose (BG) levels was reported. Herein, the application of this material as part of a small, implantable, closed‐loop insulin delivery device designed to continuously monitor BG concentrations and regulate insulin release is proposed. The insulin delivery device consists of a nanocomposite glucose‐responsive plug covalently bound to an insulin reservoir made of surface‐modified silicone. The plug is prepared with crosslinked bovine serum albumin (BSA) and enzymes (glucose oxidase (GOx) and catalase (CAT)), pH‐responsive hydrogel nanoparticles, and multifunctional MnO₂ nanoparticles. The plug functions both as a glucose sensor and controlled delivery unit to release higher rates of insulin from the reservoir in response to hyperglycemic BG levels and basal insulin rates at normal BG concentration. The surfaces of the device are modified by silanization followed by PEGylation to ensure its safety and biocompatibility and the stability of encased insulin. Our results show that insulin release can be modulated in vitro in response to glucose concentrations. In vivo experiments show that the glycemia of diabetic rats can be controlled with implantation of the prototype device. The glucose‐responsiveness of the device is also demonstrated by rapid drop in BG level after challenging diabetic rats with bolus injection of glucose solution. In addition, it is demonstrated that surface PEGylation of the device is necessary for reducing the immune response of the host to the implanted foreign object and maintaining insulin stability and bioactivity. With this molecular architecture and the bio‐inorganic nanocomposite plug, the device has the ability to maintain normal BG levels in diabetic rats.     

Securing light clients in blockchain with DLCP

In blockchain, full nodes (FNs) are peers that store and verify entire chains of transactions. In contrast, light clients (LCs) are those with limited resources, and for this reason, they request only block headers from FNs for transaction verification—using protocols like Simple Payment Verification (SPV). In an approach to prevent FN tampering on transaction verification (byzantine fault), LCs request block headers from multiple FNs and compare received responses. One problem with this approach is that an LC must connect to each FN and perform the same cryptographic operations with each one repeatedly, which leads to client‐side complexity and slower response. We propose an alternate approach to tackle this issue, in which LCs can encrypt a request for block headers only once, and send that request to a predetermined set of FNs to access, process, and reply back in a single response. Our approach, called Distributed Lightweight Client Protocol (DLCP), enables LCs to verify with little effort if FNs have agreed on a response. From an experimental evaluation, we observed that DLCP provided lower latency and reduced computing and communication overhead in comparison with the existing conventional approach.     

A second-order blind source separation method for bilinear mixtures

In this paper, we are interested in the problem of Blind Source Separation using a Second-order Statistics (SOS) method in order to separate autocorrelated and mutually independent sources mixed according to a bilinear (BL) model. In this context, we propose a new approach called Bilinear Second-order Blind Source Separation, which is an extension of linear SOS methods, devoted to separate sources present in BL mixtures. These sources, called extended sources, include the actual sources and their products. We first study the statistical properties of the different extended sources, in order to verify the assumption of identifiability when the actual sources are zero-mean and when they are not. Then, we present the different steps performed in order to estimate these actual centred sources and to extract the actual mixing parameters. The obtained results using artificial mixtures of synthetic and real sources confirm the effectiveness of the new proposed approach.     

A genetic approach to joint routing and link scheduling for wireless mesh networks

Wireless mesh networks are an attractive technology for providing broadband connectivity to mobile clients who are just on the edge of wired networks, and also for building self-organized networks in places where wired infrastructures are not available or not deemed to be worth deploying. This paper investigates the joint link scheduling and routing issues involved in the delivery of a given backlog from any node of a wireless mesh network towards a specific node (which acts as a gateway), within a given deadline. Scheduling and routing are assumed to be aware of the physical interference among nodes, which is modeled in the paper by means of a signal-to-interference ratio. Firstly, we present a theoretical model which allows us to formulate the task of deriving joint routing and scheduling as an integer linear programming problem. Secondly, since the problem cannot be dealt with using exact methods, we propose and use a technique based on genetic algorithms. To the best of our knowledge, these algorithms have never been used before for working out these kinds of optimization problems in a wireless mesh environment. We show that our technique is suitable for this purpose as it provides a good trade-off between fast computation and the overall goodness of the solution found. Our experience has in fact shown that genetic algorithms would seem to be quite promising for solving more complex models than the one dealt with in this paper, such as those including multiple flows and multi-radio multi-channels.     

Layer‐by‐Layer All‐Inorganic Quantum‐Dot‐Based LEDs: A Simple Procedure with Robust Performance

A novel all‐inorganic electroluminescent device is demonstrated based on highly luminescent CdTe nanocrystals intercalated within a laminar hydrotalcite‐like structure. The laminar scaffold acts to both support and distribute the CdTe nanocrystals. The device is synthesized using simple wet chemical processes at room temperature in ambient conditions. It has high thermal stability, operating continuously up to 90 °C, and a maximum efficiency at J = 0.12 A cm^?2. The device is targeted at the automotive industry.     

SR ARQ packet delay statistics on markov channels in the presence of variable arrival rate

In this letter we investigate the packet delay statistics of a fully reliable selective repeat ARQ scheme by considering a discrete time Markov channel with non-instantaneous feedback and assigned round-trip delay m. Our focus is on studying the impact of the arrival process on the delay experienced by a packet. An exact model is introduced to represent the system constituted by the transmitter buffer, the m round-trip slots, and the channel state. By means of this model, we evaluate and discuss the delay statistics and we analyze the impact of the system parameters, in particular the packet arrival rate, on the delay statistics