Pyramid coding based rate control for constant bit rate video streaming

In this paper, a novel pyramid coding based rate control scheme is proposed for video streaming applications constrained by a constant channel bandwidth. To achieve the target bit rate with the best quality, the initial quantization parameter (QP) is determined by the average spatio-temporal complexity of the sequence, its resolution and the target bit rate. Simple linear estimation models are then used to predict the number of bits that would be necessary to encode a frame for a given complexity and QP. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed rate control scheme significantly outperforms the existing rate control scheme in the Joint Model (JM) reference software in terms of Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and consistent perceptual visual quality while achieving the target bit rate. Finally, the proposed scheme is validated through experimental evaluation over a miniature test-bed.

     

Turmeric nanofiber-encapsulated natural product formulation act as a phytogenic feed additive—A study in broilers on growth performance,biochemical indices of blood,and E. coli in cecum

A phytogenic feed additive (PFA) formulation was prepared with bioactive molecules—curcuminoids, gingerol, and carvacrol by encapsulating in nanofiber isolated from turmeric spent (turmeric nanofiber, TNF). This formulation was completely characterized by scanning electron microscope, ultra performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography and evaluated for its efficacy. PFA-encapsulated TNF (PFA@TNF) considerably increased mean body weight, decreased cholesterol level, mortality rate, and reduced Escherichia coli content of broilers than antibiotic growth promoter (AGP). The depth of crypts in the ileum of broilers was considerably reduced by the inclusion of PFA@TNF in diets compared with the AGP.     

Anomalous Dielectric Behaviour in Melt Quenched Lithium Borate Glasses

Transparent glasses of lithium tetraborate (Li₂B₄O₇) were prepared by a splat quenching technique. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopic studies revealed the amorphous nature of the as-quenched samples. The glassy nature of these samples was confirmed by differential thermal analysis. Physical properties such as density, dielectric and ac conductivity have been studied. Glasses of Li₂B₄O₇ exhibit a dielectric anomaly close to the crystallization temperature which is attributed to the interfacial polarization caused by Li⁺ ion motion within the borate network.     

Effect of pulsing on reaction outcome in a gas–liquid catalytic packed-bed reactor

A novel experiment is described for studying the effect of flow regime on reaction outcome for a consecutive-parallel reaction. By taking advantage of the convective nature of disturbances that grow into pulses in gas–liquid packed-bed reactors, it is shown that it is possible to compare reaction behavior for pulsing and trickling at the same flow rates. This contrasts previous studies where effects of regime were found, but at different flow rates. This experiment is accomplished by packing the column with mostly inert particles and confining the catalytically active region either near the inlet, where pulses have not yet formed, or near the end where they have developed. It is found that for the reaction of phenylacetylene to styrene and ethylbenzene over a platinum/alumina catalyst, where pulses are present in the bottom of the reactor but not at the top, about a 15% increase in styrene concentration, as an intermediate, occurs under pulsing conditions.     

Microwave synthesis and sintering characteristics of CaCu<Subscript>3</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>4</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript>

CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO) was synthesized and sintered by microwave processing at 2·45 GHz, 1·1 kW. The optimum calcination temperature using microwave heating was determined to be 950°C for 20 min to obtain cubic CCTO powders. The microwave processed powders were sintered to 94% density at 1000°C/60 min. The microstructural studies carried out on these ceramics revealed the grain size to be in the range 1–7 μm. The dielectric constants for the microwave sintered (1000°C/60 min) ceramics were found to vary from 11000–7700 in the 100 Hz–00 kHz frequency range. Interestingly the dielectric loss had lower values than those sintered by conventional sintering routes and decreases with increase in frequency.     

Optimization of conditions for hydrogen production from complex dairy wastewater by anaerobic sludge using desirability function approach

Present study deals with the multiple-response optimization for biohydrogen production using anaerobic sludge and outstanding approach to overcome the drawbacks of conventional response surface methodology (RSM). Dairy wastewater was used as source in batch fermentation was followed for this study. Response surface methodology (RSM), based on a three level, four variable Box–Behnken design, was employed to obtain the best possible combination of substrate concentration, pH, COD/N ratio and COD/P ratio for maximum H₂ yield (HY) and specific hydrogen production rate (SHPR). Experimental data were evaluated by applying RSM integrating a desirability function approach. The optimum H₂ yield and SHPR conditions were: substrate concentration 15.3 g COD/L, pH 5.5, COD/N ratio 100.5 and COD/P ratio 120 with maximum overall desirability D of 0.94. The confirmation experiment under these optimal condition showed a HY and SHPR of 13.54 mmol H₂/g COD and 29.91 mmol H₂/g-VSS.d, respectively. This was only 0.22% and 0.20%, respectively, different from the predicted values, suggesting that the desirability function approach with RSM was a useful technique to get the maximum H₂ yield and SHPR simultaneously.     

Assessment of Post-Earthquake Fire Behavior of a Steel MRF Building in a Low Seismic Region

International Journal of Steel Structures - Building-level response to post-earthquake fire hazards in steel buildings has been assessed using primarily two-dimensional analyses of the lateral...     

Effect of dopants on the low temperature microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Zn1/3Ta2/3)O3 ceramics

Ba(Zn_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ has been prepared with different dopants that gave best microwave dielectric properties at room temperature. Effects of different dopants on the low temperature microwave dielectric properties of BZT were investigated. With decrease in temperature, loss tangent was found to decrease marginally and then increase at temperatures lower than 100 K. Increase in loss factor at lower temperatures were found to be less for dopants with smaller ionic radii. Dielectric constant was found to be almost independent of temperature. Temperature coefficient of resonant frequency slowly decreased from a positive value to negative value when temperature was lowered. Temperature at which τ_f becomes zero was found to vary for different dopants. There is a temperature stable region for tanδ, ɛ_r and τ_f which varies for different dopants.     

Corrosion protection of AA 2024-T3 aluminium alloys using 3, 4-diaminobenzoic acid chelated zirconium-silane hybrid sol-gels

Organic-inorganic polymers formed by hydrolysis/condensation reactions of alkoxide precursors, such as organically modified silanes (Ormosils) are used for several industrial applications such as electronic, optical and protective anticorrosion coatings. Such materials possess superior chemical stability, physical strength and scratch resistance characteristics when compared to organic polymers. Further performance improvement can be achieved through the incorporation of zirconium and titanium based nanoparticles, also formed through from precursors via the sol-gel process. However due to the inherent reactivity differences of the above precursors, they must be hydrolysed separately before being combined for final condensation. Zirconium precursors are commonly chelated using acetic acid or acetyl acetonate prior to hydrolysis, to lower the hydrolysis rate.In this body of work, 3,4-diaminobenzoic acid (DABA) and acetyl acetonate (acac) were compared as chelating ligands for controlling the hydrolysis reactions of zirconium n-propoxide to form nanoparticles within a silane sol matrix. The sols were applied as coatings on aerospace grade aluminium alloy AA 2024-T3 and characterised by physical, spectroscopical, microscopical, electrochemical and calorimetric techniques. The electrochemical properties of the coatings, as characterised by EIS and PDS, correlated with neutral salt spray evaluations confirming that the use of DABA as a chelating ligand significantly improved the coating performance when compared to the traditional diketone ligand. The data indicates the anticorrosion properties of the nitrogen rich chelate have a key role in protecting the alloy through the formation of smaller zirconium nanoparticles, thus improving the polymer network stability.