Dynamic multimedia stream adaptation and rate control for heterogeneous networks

Dynamic adaptation of multimedia content is seen as an important feature of next generation networks and pervasive systems enabling terminals and applications to adapt to changes in e.g. context, access network, and available Quality-of-Service (QoS) due to mobility of users, devices or sessions. We present the architecture of a multimedia stream adaptation service which enables communication between terminals having heterogeneous hardware and software capabilities and served by heterogeneous networks. The service runs on special content adaptation nodes which can be placed at any location within the network. The flexible structure of our architecture allows using a variety of different adaptation engines. A generic transcoding engine is used to change the codec of streams. An MPEG-21 Digital Item Adaptation (DIA) based transformation engine allows adjusting the data rate of scalable media streams. An intelligent decision-taking engine implements adaptive flow control which takes into account current network QoS parameters and congestion information. Measurements demonstrate the quality gains achieved through adaptive congestion control mechanisms under conditions typical for a heterogeneous network.     

Confidence and reliability measures in speaker verification

Speaker verification is a biometric identity verification technique whose performance can be severely degraded by the presence of noise. Using a coherent notation, we reformulate and review several methods which have been proposed to quantify the uncertainty in verification results, some with a view to coping with the effects of mismatched training-testing environments. We also include a recently proposed method, which is firmly rooted in a probabilistic approach and interpretation, and explicitly measures signal quality before assigning a reliability value to the speaker verification classifier's decision. We evaluate the performance of the confidence and reliability measures over a noisy 251-users database, showing that taking into account signal-domain quality can lead to better accuracy in prediction of classifier errors. We discuss possible strategies for using the measures in a speaker verification system, balancing acquisition duration and verification error rate.     

Morality,Culture, and Modernity: Challenges to the University

This author focuses on the ethical aspects of conducting university research and teaching. What function does the university perform in making the contemporary world more humane, and what threats are connected today with this mission? Scientific work is, of course, also practised outside the university, and teaching does not have to follow the university model; however it cannot be denied that the university is a ubiquitous scientific and educational institution, the values of which should be remembered and emphasized in light of modern scientific and cultural developments. This paper highlights first the features specific to the university, with an emphasis on educational and cultural production. Next, the challenges faced by the university in the context of modern civilization are addressed. To conclude, a few personal observations about moral dimensions and challenges are shared.     

Engineering students' use of computer assisted learning (CAL)

This study examines the use of Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) by undergraduate engineering students studying a business and management course. Discussing both the relationship between management and engineering and CAL applied to engineering education, this study is based on a survey of 82 undergraduates and adopts a quantitative research methodology. The results suggest that engineering students generally displayed positive attitudes towards CAL and that increased use of CAL improved course performance where it matched exactly the course assessment format. On the basis of this survey, the authors go on to consider the use of CAL in teaching engineering students business and management subjects at university.

Cet article étude comment les étudiants de l'ingénierie utilisent l'enseignement assisté par ordinateur dans les études de gestion. L'article est fondé sur un sondage parmi quatre-vingt deux étudiants et une méthodologie de recherche quantitative. Il traite aussi le rapport entre l'ingénierie et la gestion et le rôle de l'enseignement assisté par ordinateur dans le cadre des études techniques. Les résultats semblent indiquer, qu'en général, les étudiants de l'ingénierie considèrent que l'enseignement assisté par ordinateur a un valeur educatif. De plus, l'enseignement assisté par ordinateur semble promouvoir une amélioration en matière de résultats, pourvu que les formats du logiciel et les contrôles soient les mêmes.     

Condition of Reinforced Concrete Structures and Their Degradation Mechanism at the Former Auschwitz Concentration and Extermination Camp

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the results of investigations on reinforced concrete structures present in the former Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. Field inspection employing the non-destructive method of reinforcement potential measurement according to the ASTM-C 876–15 standard, followed by laboratory investigations performed on genuine historic reinforced concrete samples collected from the former Auschwitz camp, allowed assessment of the actual condition of this 70-year-old construction material. Electrochemical potential measurements allowed mapping of the regions characterized by enhanced reinforcement corrosion risk and the regions of its immunity. The composition of concrete, water absorbency, content of detrimental salts, and degree and profile of carbonation as well as mechanical properties were evaluated. Results revealed the most common and probable mechanism responsible for degradation of the reinforced concrete structures in the former Auschwitz camp.     

Aging in Suburbia: An Assessment of Senior Needs

To date, there have been no surveys focusing on older adults living in suburban communities. As the majority of American seniors reside in suburbia, it is important to understand factors that impede successful aging in these settings. This study surveyed 1,151 seniors to examine the needs of seniors living in a large suburban community across two counties in the northeastern United States. Specific areas of query included the following: transportation, health status, social support, self-sufficiency, and economic factors. Findings revealed that seniors over 85, minorities, those reporting poor health, and those who do not drive were at especially high risk of service access problems and social isolation.     

Corrosivity of environment and the current state of the steel elements at the former Auschwitz concentration camp

The objective of this study was to assess corrosivity of the atmospheric environment in the former Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, and to identify the protective properties of existing corrosion products in order to estimate the actual corrosion rate of original steel elements located there. The current atmospheric corrosivity of the former Auschwitz camp, specified during one year of exposure of steel samples according to the EN ISO 12944-2 (1998) standard, was determined and it can be described as a boundary between the low C2 and medium C3. The steel corrosion rate in these conditions was in the range of 14–34?µm/year with the average rate of 27?µm/year. A layer of corrosion products formed on uncovered original reinforcement steel rods during ca. 70 years of atmospheric exposure was examined in terms of their protective properties with respect to steel. The microstructure, chemical composition, and elemental chemical state were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods were employed to investigate the corrosion resistance of the carbon steel covered with a layer of corrosion products. It has been estimated that this layer slows down the corrosion rate of steel by about five times. Hence, it can be concluded that the corrosion rate of the original steel parts under the layer of corrosion products should not exceed 7?µm/year.     

Visualising weekly learning outcomes (VWLO) and the intention to continue using a learning management system (CIU): the role of cognitive absorption and perceived learning self-regulation

Education and Information Technologies - This research, using goal setting theory, proposes a new educational intervention to improve the perceptions of a Learning management System (LMS) as an...     

Benefit of the doubt approach to assessing the research performance of Australian universities

This paper proposes a benefit of the doubt (BoD) approach to assess the research performance of 37 public Australian universities based on data from 2015. The primary activities of Higher Education institutions are teaching and research, but the prestige of a university depends mainly on the results of its research activities. The BoD method is rooted in the data envelopment analysis methodology, which enables the flexible and data‐based assignment of weights to aggregated variables. Full weighting flexibility, however, allows zero weights, which can lead to unrealistic results. For this reason, the proposed model has been supplemented with additional weight restrictions. The assessment considers key performance factors: number of publications and citations; number of completed doctoral degrees; amount of research grants; and percentage of science graduates. Unlike earlier research on Australian universities, this study uses the number of publications and citations from the Web of Science database. The results provide a ranking of universities and recommendations for decision makers regarding the direction of future improvement actions for the worst‐performing universities.