On minimizing end-to-end delay with optimal traffic partitioning

Multipath transport provides higher usable bandwidth for a session. It has also been shown to provide load balancing and error resilience for end-to-end multimedia sessions. Two key issues in the use of multiple paths are 1) how to minimize the end-to-end delay, which now includes the delay along the paths and the resequencing delay at the receiver, and 2) how to select paths. This paper presents an analytical framework for the optimal partitioning of real-time multimedia traffic that minimizes the total end-to-end delay. Specifically, it formulates optimal traffic partitioning as a constrained optimization problem using deterministic network calculus and derives its closed-form solution. Compared with previous work, the proposed scheme is simpler to implement and enforce. This analysis also greatly simplifies the solution to the path selection problem as compared to previous efforts. Analytical results show that for a given flow and a set of paths, a minimal subset can be chosen to achieve the minimum end-to-end delay with O(N) time, where N is the number of available paths. The selected path set is optimal in the sense that adding any rejected path to the set will only increase the end-to-end delay.     

网络状态感知的标识映射系统研究

可扩展性是当今路由系统面临的最主要的问题之一;学术界一致认为位置与标识分离的思想是解决路由可扩展性问题的最有效的方法;然而,在位置与标识分离的网络中,如何设计一个高效的映射服务系统仍是一个难题;文中提出了影响映射服务系统性能的三个主要因素,并基于对这三个主要因素的分析,提出了一个网络状态感知的标识映射系统NAMS; NAMS包含两个关键元素:网络感知Agent和服务节点;我们认为,NAMS是解决高效映射服务系统设计实现问题的有效途径.     

Optimal Block Design for Asynchronous Wake-Up Schedules and Its Applications in Multihop Wireless Networks

In this paper, we consider the problem of designing optimal asynchronous wake-up schedules to facilitate distributed power management and neighbor discovery in multihop wireless networks. We first formulate it as a block design problem and derive the fundamental trade-offs between wake-up latency and the average duty cycle of a node. After the theoretical foundation is laid, we then devise a neighbor discovery and schedule bookkeeping protocol that can operate on the optimal wake-up schedule derived. To demonstrate the usefulness of asynchronous wake-up, we investigate the efficiency of neighbor discovery and the application of on-demand power management, which overlays a desirable communication schedule over the wake-up schedule mandated by the asynchronous wake-up mechanism. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed asynchronous wake-up protocol has short discovery time which scales with the density of the network; it can accommodate various traffic characteristics and loads to achieve an energy savings that can be as high as 70 percent, while the packet delivery ratio is comparable to that without power management.     

High-temperature elasticity of fibrous ceramics with a bird's nest structure

New fibrous ceramics with polycrystalline mullite fibers as the matrix and silica–boron sols as the high temperature binder, which was inspired by the bird's nest structure in nature, were synthesized. The most important structure characteristic of this fibrous material is that the silica–boron binder only fixed the fibers at the crossing points rather than filled the pores among the fibers. The elastic behavior was investigated, both at room temperature and elevated temperature. Compared to conventional ceramic matrix composites, the samples show a much higher degree of elasticity because of the bending of the fibers. The rebound resilience decreased slowly with the increase of the temperature, but it still remained 86% of that at ambient temperature at 1000 °C. The sample exhibits good elasticity performance, relatively high strength (2.25 MPa) and high porosity (83%) indicating it is a potential high-temperature seal material.     

Microstructural evolution and densification behavior of porous kaolin-based mullite ceramic added with MoO3

Microstructural evolution and densification behavior of porous kaolin-based mullite ceramic added with MoO₃ were investigated. The results indicated that MoO₃ addition not only lowered the secondary mullitization temperature to below 950?°C, but also facilitated effectively the anisotropic growth of mullite grains. Fine mullite whiskers grew and interlocked with one another in the pre-existing pore regions, in-situ forming a stiff 3D skeleton structure of mullite whiskers, which arrested further densification of the sample. On the other hand, due to the great capillary attraction of small pores, the liquid phase tended to spread over small grains, which favored the growth from small mullite grains into whiskers at the expense of the liquid phase. Consequently, competitive mechanisms of sintering and crystal growth of mullite functioned, which further limited the sample densification. As a result, the total linear shrinkage of the sample added with MoO₃ after firing at 1400?°C was only ??2.75%, and its porosity was retained at as high as 67%.     

Single-step assembly of polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles for mitomycin C delivery

Mitomycin C is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents for a wide spectrum of cancers, but its clinical use is still hindered by the mitomycin C (MMC) delivery systems. In this study, the MMC-loaded polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a single-step assembly (ACS Nano 2012, 6:4955 to 4965) of MMC-soybean phosphatidyhlcholine (SPC) complex (Mol. Pharmaceutics 2013, 10:90 to 101) and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) polymers for intravenous MMC delivery. The advantage of the MMC-SPC complex on the polymer-lipid hybrid NPs was that MMC-SPC was used as a structural element to offer the integrity of the hybrid NPs, served as a drug preparation to increase the effectiveness and safety and control the release of MMC, and acted as an emulsifier to facilitate and stabilize the formation. Compared to the PLA NPs/MMC, the PLA NPs/MMC-SPC showed a significant accumulation of MMC in the nuclei as the action site of MMC. The PLA NPs/MMC-SPC also exhibited a significantly higher anticancer effect compared to the PLA NPs/MMC or free MMC injection in vitro and in vivo. These results suggested that the MMC-loaded polymer-lipid hybrid NPs might be useful and efficient drug delivery systems for widening the therapeutic window of MMC and bringing the clinical use of MMC one step closer to reality.     

A versatile chemical conversion synthesis of Cu2S nanotubes and the photovoltaic activities for dye-sensitized solar cell

A versatile, low-temperature, and low-cost chemical conversion synthesis has been developed to prepare copper sulfide (Cu₂S) nanotubes. The successful chemical conversion from ZnS nanotubes to Cu₂S ones profits by the large difference in solubility between ZnS and Cu₂S. The morphology, structure, and composition of the yielded products have been examined by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction measurements. We have further successfully employed the obtained Cu₂S nanotubes as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. The light-to-electricity conversion results show that the Cu₂S nanostructures exhibit high photovoltaic conversion efficiency due to the increased surface area and the good electrocatalytical activity of Cu₂S. The present chemical route provides a simple way to synthesize Cu₂S nanotubes with a high surface area for nanodevice applications.     

Fabrication of high-density magnesia using vacuum compaction molding

High-density magnesia was fabricated using vacuum compaction molding, and effects of forming pressure and sintering temperature on bulk density, apparent porosity, diameter shrinkage ratio, volume shrinkage ratio, pore size distribution, cold compressive strength, and thermal shock resistance of the magnesia samples were investigated. There were two ranges of pore distribution in samples that were formed via conventional compaction molding, and these ranges were about 350–2058 nm and 6037–60527 nm. It was considered that the range of larger pores mainly influenced the densification of magnesia. Using vacuum compaction molding, large size pores were removed, and high-density magnesia (with a density greater than 3.40 g cm^?3) was easily prepared when forming pressure was higher than 200 MPa and sintering temperature was higher than 1600 °C. Magnesia samples prepared via vacuum compaction molding showed better performance compared to that of samples prepared via conventional compaction molding.