Java multimedia telecollaboration

Using Java-based tools in multimedia collaborative environments accessed over the Internet can increase an application's client base. Most operating systems support Java, and its "compile once-run everywhere" architecture is easy to maintain and update. The Java-based tools presented here let users share Internet resources, including resources originally designed for single use.     

A New Hand-Held Microsystem Architecture for Biological Analysis

This paper presents a hand-held microsystem based on new fully integrated magnetoresistive biochips for biomolecular recognition (DNA hybridization, antibody antigen interaction, etc.). Magnetoresistive chip surfaces are chemically treated, enabling the immobilization of probe biomolecules such as DNA or antibodies. Fluid handling is also integrated in the biochip. The proposed microsystem not only integrates the biochip, which is an array of 16times16 magnetoresistive sensors, but it also provides all the electronic circuitry for addressing and reading out each transducer. The proposed architecture and circuits were specifically designed for achieving a compact, programmable and portable microsystem. The microsystem also integrates a hand-held analyzer connected through a wireless channel. A prototype of the system was already developed and detection of magnetic nanoparticles was obtained. This indicates that the system may be used for magnetic label based bioassays     

Dielectric relaxation of vegetable-based polyurethane

Vegetable-based polyurethane (PU) was prepared in the thin film form by spin coating. This polymer is synthesised from castor oil, which can be extracted from the seeds of a native plant in Brazil called mamona. This polymer is biocompatible and is being used as material for artificial bone. The PU was characterised by dielectric spectroscopy in a wide range of frequency (10^–5 Hz to 10⁵ Hz) and by thermally stimulated discharge current (TSDC) measurements. The glass transition temperature (T _g = 39°C) was determined and using the initial rise method the activation energy was found to be 1.58 eV.     

Dealumination–aging pattern of REUSY zeolites contained in fluid cracking catalysts

The evolution of the properties of a REUSY zeolite contained in a fluid cracking catalyst was investigated under laboratory steam deactivation procedures and in age fractions of the corresponding equilibrium catalyst (Ecat). The aging pattern, defined by the evolution of the zeolite surface area (ZSA) related to the decrease of the unit cell size (UCS), was similar between lab-steamed zeolites and Ecat fractions. A sharp drop in ZSA occurred at ca. 2.430 nm UCS. A study done by FT-IR spectroscopy suggested that zeolite dealumination initially took place more extensively on the sodalite cages and double six-member rings (D6R) of the structure and that the final collapse of the zeolite framework occurred through destruction of the 12-member rings (12M). This can be explained by a crystal fracture and break down process and disassembling of the sodalite cages in the faujasite structure. NH₃ microcalorimetry showed that strong acid sites in faujasites are destroyed by steam aging, but this effect does not lead to a reduction in the cracking activity of the Ecat form. The microactivity test (MAT) showed that the specific activity declined sharply at 2.430 nm UCS. Differences in product selectivity were related to the extent of damage of the zeolite, extra-framework alumina and mesoporosity. While further aging canceled the effect attributed to extra-framework alumina differences attributed to mesoporosity increased.     

The influence of oxygen partial pressure on growth of the (Hg,Re)-1223 intergrain junction

Hg/sub 0.82/Re/sub 0.18/Ba/sub 2/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 8+/spl delta// polycrystalline samples were successfully obtained by using different oxygen partial pressure in the annealing treatment of the precursor ceramic. The doping state was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction pattern analysis and by observing distinct thermopower values at room temperature. Also, the intergrain regions have shown an improvement in the critical current density when using the precursor preparation with 10% O/sub 2/ and 90% Ar (optimal doped). The optimal doped sample has presented the highest /spl alpha/ exponent of the J/sub c//spl prop/[1-(T/T/sub c/)/sup 2/]/sup /spl alpha// dependence. For the case of (Hg,Re)-1223 polycrystalline superconductor applications, the /spl alpha/ exponent can be used as a junction quality parameter.     

L’optimisation des réseaux cellulaires assistée par ordinateur: le logiciel RNO (Radio Network Optimisation)

Quality of service has become today a major concern for operators of mobile communication networks. The massive development of networks and strong competition between operators has lead to the necessary and daily follow-up of network quality of service, a key factor for its subscriber’s fidelity. This article aims at presenting the optimization methodology and proposes its illustration with a case of RNO (Radio Network Optimisation) software usage, one of the Alcatel optimization toolchain component. After a short presentation of cellular network, the optimization basic principles are described. RNO software and its main functionnalities are then detailed before a last part dedicated to a real case of optimization done with RNO software.     

Pyrolysis of Miscanthus Giganteus and wood pellets: TG-FTIR analysis and reaction kinetics

Characterisation of two biomass fuels (pelletised Miscanthus Giganteus and wood) was performed using thermogravimetric analysis with measurement of products by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR). Three heating rate profiles were applied (10, 30 and 100 °C/min), with a final temperature of 900 °C. HCN and HNCO were found to be the major N-products, while the NH₃ fraction was detected to a minor extent. Kinetic parameters were obtained from the TG-FTIR results using a model based on parallel first-order reactions with a Gaussian distribution of activation energies. On the basis of the above kinetic analysis and product yields, input files for the functional group-devolatilisation, vaporisation, cross-linking biomass-pyrolysis model were prepared. The fit of model parameters to TG-FTIR product-evolution data was found to be generally good, but the model-predicted yields for some species did not fit experimental data at all heating rates. Further improvements in the model are needed to resolve above difficulty.     

Enhancing both network and user performance for networks supporting best effort traffic

With a view on improving user-perceived performance on networks supporting best effort flows, e.g., multimedia/data file transfers, we propose a family of bandwidth allocation criteria that depends on the residual work of on-going transfers. Analysis and simulations show that allocating bandwidth in this fashion can significantly improve the user-perceived delay, bit transmission delay, and throughput over traditional approaches, e.g., by 58% on an 80% loaded linear network. A simple implementation based on TCP Reno, exemplifies how one might approach practically realizing such gains. We discuss several other advantages of incorporating such differentiation at the transport level. In particular we make the case that favoring small transfers combined with user impatience or peak rate constraints, both of which are natural mechanisms for users to express the utility of completing transfers, offers a lightweight approach to achieving good overall network goodput and/or utility for best effort networks.     

Temporary leukocyte depletion reduces ventricular dysfunction during prolonged postischemic reperfusion

Leukocyte depletion improves early postischemic ventricular performance in neonatal models of global myocardial ischemia. However, the rate of leukocyte reaccumulation after cardiopulmonary bypass and its subsequent impact on myocardial function is not known. This laboratory study examined the effect of leukocyte depletion on myocardial performance during the initial 6-hour period after bypass in an in situ, in vivo porcine model of neonatal cardiac surgery. Fifteen 3- to 5-day-old piglets (eight control and seven leukocyte depleted animals) were instrumented by placement of left ventricular short-axis sonomicrometry crystals and an intraventricular micromanometer catheter. Mechanical leukocyte depletion was achieved with Pall RC100 filters (Pall Biomedical, Inc., Fajardo, Puerto Rico) in the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit. Neonatal hearts were subjected to 90 minutes of hypothermic ischemia after a single dose of cold crystalloid cardioplegia. Two control animals died after the operation and were excluded from data analysis. Leukocyte filtration reduced the granulocyte count during initial myocardial reperfusion to 0.8% of control values. However, circulating granulocyte counts increased in leukocyte depleted animals throughout the postoperative period, reaching 68% of control values by 6 hours. Despite this rapid return of circulating granulocytes, animals subjected to leukocyte depletion had significantly better preservation of left ventricular performance (measured by preload recruitable stroke work, p < or = 0.02), left ventricular systolic function (measured by end-systolic pressure-volume relationship, p < or = 0.05), and ventricular compliance (p < or = 0.04) during the experiment. These changes in ventricular function were associated with a significant increase in left ventricular water content (p < or = 0.02) and tissue myeloperoxidase activity (p < or = 0.005) in control animals compared with leukocyte depleted animals. This study demonstrates that leukocyte depletion during initial reperfusion results in sustained improvement in postischemic left ventricular function despite the rapid return of granulocytes to the circulation.