A Cross-Layer Approach to Enhance QoS for Multimedia Applications Over Satellite

The need for on-demand QoS support for communications over satellite is of primary importance for distributed multimedia applications. This is particularly true for the return link which is often a bottleneck due to the large set of end-users accessing a very limited uplink resource. Facing this need, Demand Assignment Multiple Access (DAMA) is a classical technique that allows satellite operators to offer various types of services, while managing the resources of the satellite system efficiently. Tackling the quality degradation and delay accumulation issues that can result from the use of these techniques, this paper proposes an instantiation of the Application Layer Framing (ALF) approach, using a cross-layer interpreter (xQoS-Interpreter). The information provided by this interpreter is used to manage the resource provided to a terminal by the satellite system in order to improve the quality of multimedia presentations from the end user’s point of view. Several experiments are carried out for different loads on the return link. Their impact on QoS is measured through different application as well as network level metrics.

Catalyst Design by NH4OH Treatment of USY Zeolite

Hierarchical zeolites are a class of superior catalysts which couples the intrinsic zeolitic properties to enhanced accessibility and intracrystalline mass transport to and from the active sites. The design of hierarchical USY (Ultra‐Stable Y) catalysts is achieved using a sustainable postsynthetic room temperature treatment with mildly alkaline NH₄OH (0.02 m ) solutions. Starting from a commercial dealuminated USY zeolite (Si/Al = 47), a hierarchical material is obtained by selective and tuneable creation of interconnected and accessible small mesopores (2–6 nm). In addition, the treatment immediately yields the NH₄⁺ form without the need for additional ion exchange. After NH₄OH modification, the crystal morphology is retained, whereas the microporosity and relative crystallinity are decreased. The gradual formation of dense amorphous phases throughout the crystal without significant framework atom leaching rationalizes the very high material yields (>90%). The superior catalytic performance of the developed hierarchical zeolites is demonstrated in the acid‐catalyzed isomerization of α‐pinene and the metal‐catalyzed conjugation of safflower oil. Significant improvements in activity and selectivity are attained, as well as a lowered susceptibility to deactivation. The catalytic performance is intimately related to the introduced mesopores, hence enhanced mass transport capacity, and the retained intrinsic zeolitic properties.     

Recovering missing slices of the discrete fourier transform using ghosts

The discrete Fourier transform (DFT) underpins the solution to many inverse problems commonly possessing missing or unmeasured frequency information. This incomplete coverage of the Fourier space always produces systematic artifacts called Ghosts. In this paper, a fast and exact method for deconvolving cyclic artifacts caused by missing slices of the DFT using redundant image regions is presented. The slices discussed here originate from the exact partitioning of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) space, under the projective Discrete Radon Transform, called the discrete Fourier slice theorem. The method has a computational complexity of O(nlog(2)n) (for an n=N×N image) and is constructed from a new cyclic theory of Ghosts. This theory is also shown to unify several aspects of work done on Ghosts over the past three decades. This paper concludes with an application to fast, exact, non-iterative image reconstruction from a highly asymmetric set of rational angle projections that give rise to sets of sparse slices within the DFT.     

Complex permittivity characterization of benzocyclobutene for terahertz applications

High-quality polymers such as the benzocyclobutene polymer (BCB) provide interesting dielectric feature for terahertz applications. Already used in silicon integrated circuit technologies, this material could become one of the most promising candidates for the realization of future THz waveguides and interconnections on a silicon substrate but also after active devices process on the top of any other technology (GaAs, InP, GaN…). A frequency-dependent complex permittivity of spin-coated thick layers of this low-k dielectric is obtained from transmittance spectra measured with Fourier transform spectroscopy in the frequency range of 0.5-5.4 THz. The dielectric constant and the loss tangent are discussed according to curing conditions of the photosensitive resin used. A low loss tangent value of 7 − 9 × 10^-3 at 1 THz is obtained with polymerisation in oxygen-free atmosphere. An incomplete curing and a high dose UV exposure have a weak impact on losses. These results associated with the high compatibility of this polymer with silicon and metals make BCB layers well suited for the design of microelectronic THz devices and circuits.     

A patient-mounted robotic platform for CT-scan guided procedures

In this paper, we present a novel robotic assistant dedicated to medical interventions under computed tomography scan guidance. This compact and lightweight patient-mounted robot is designed so as to fulfill the requirements of most interventional radiology procedures. It is built from an original 5 DOF parallel structure with a semispherical workspace, particularly well suited to CT-scan interventional procedures. The specifications, the design, and the choice of compatible technological solutions are detailed. A preclinical evaluation is presented, with the registration of the robot in the CT-scan.     

Incumbency Bonus in Election News Coverage Explained: The Logics of Political Power and the Media Market

This article investigates the determinants of the incumbency bonuses in news coverage. Two main factors are identified: the distribution of political power and changes in the media market. To test these assumptions, a content analysis of the news coverage of 5 national election campaigns in Denmark was conducted (4,592 news stories). First, the more unevenly political power is distributed, the more visible the government is. Second, results suggest a trade‐off between the incumbency bonus and the coverage of nonsubstantive issues. Third, changes in news coverage seem to be more driven by changes in the political system than by changes in the media market. Finally, it is discussed how future research can further our understanding of political imbalances in news coverage.     

Segmentation of skin lesions in 2-D and 3-D ultrasound images using a spatially coherent generalized Rayleigh mixture model

This paper addresses the problem of jointly estimating the statistical distribution and segmenting lesions in multiple-tissue high-frequency skin ultrasound images. The distribution of multiple-tissue images is modeled as a spatially coherent finite mixture of heavy-tailed Rayleigh distributions. Spatial coherence inherent to biological tissues is modeled by enforcing local dependence between the mixture components. An original Bayesian algorithm combined with a Markov chain Monte Carlo method is then proposed to jointly estimate the mixture parameters and a label-vector associating each voxel to a tissue. More precisely, a hybrid Metropolis-within-Gibbs sampler is used to draw samples that are asymptotically distributed according to the posterior distribution of the Bayesian model. The Bayesian estimators of the model parameters are then computed from the generated samples. Simulation results are conducted on synthetic data to illustrate the performance of the proposed estimation strategy. The method is then successfully applied to the segmentation of in vivo skin tumors in high-frequency 2-D and 3-D ultrasound images.     

A system for automatic measurement of circadian activity deviations in telemedicine

A system for the automatic measurement of the circadian activity deviations in telemedicine has been developed within the framework of a "Health Integrated Smart Home Information System" (HIS2). HIS2 is an experimental platform for the evaluation and the development of technologies in order to ensure the security and quality of life for patients who need home based medical monitoring. Location sensors are placed in each room of the HIS2, allowing the monitoring of patient's successive activity phases within the patient's home environment. We proceeded with a sampling in an hourly schedule to detect weak rhythmic variations. Based on numerous measurements, we established a mean value with confidence limits. These also allowed us to define a zone within which the patient's activity is qualified to be "predictable." Alerts are set off if the patient's activity deviates from this zone.     

Location and calculation-free node-scheduling schemes in large wireless sensor networks

In wireless sensor networks that consist of a large number of low-power, short-lived, unreliable sensors, one of the main design challenges is to obtain long system lifetime without sacrificing system original performance (sensing coverage and sensing reliability). To solve this problem, one of the potential approaches is to identify redundant nodes at the sensing interface and then assign them an off-duty operation mode that has lower energy consumption than the normal on-duty mode. In our previous work [J. Wireless Commun. Mobile Comput. 3 (2003) 271; Processing of ACM Wireless Sensor Network and Application Workshop 2002, September 2002], we proposed a node-scheduling scheme, which can provide a 100% sensing coverage preservation capability. This, however, requires each node to be aware of its own and its neighbors’ location information. Also, in that scheme, each node has to do accurate geometrical calculation to determine whether to take an off-duty status. In this paper, we propose and study several alternative node-scheduling schemes, which cannot completely preserve the original system coverage, but are nonetheless light-weighted and flexible compared with the previous one. Our simulation results compare these schemes with the previous one and demonstrate their effectiveness.     

Silicene Nanoribbons on an Insulating Thin Film

Silicene, a new 2D material has attracted intense research because of the ubiquitous use of silicon in modern technology. However, producing free-standing silicene has proved to be a huge challenge. Until now, silicene could be synthesized only on metal surfaces where it naturally forms strong interactions with the metal substrate that modify its electronic properties. Here, the authors report the first experimental evidence of silicene nanoribbons on an insulating NaCl thin film. This work represents a major breakthrough, for the study of the intrinsic properties of silicene, and by extension to other 2D materials that have so far only been grown on metal surfaces.