Progressive download video services, such as YouTube, are responsible for a major part of the transmitted data volume in the Internet and it is expected, that they also will strongly affect mobile networks. Streaming video quality mainly depends on the sustainable throughput achieved during transmission. In order to achieve an acceptable video quality in mobile networks (with limited capacity resources), traffic engineering mechanisms have to be applied. For that, the streaming video quality needs to be measured and monitored permanently. Therefore, the video timestamps which are encoded within the payload of the TCP segments have to be extracted. For that it is necessary to decode the video within the transported payload. Algorithms for decoding Flash Video, MP4 and WebM Video have already been implemented as a demonstration implementation in support of the network based measurement contribution to SG12 by Chemnitz University for TCP encoded progressive download Internet services. In the demonstration, the derived play out buffering from the monitored traffic is being output internally. A second application is then used to graphically display the estimation result. The measurement and estimation is solely done within a measurement point of an operator network without access to the client’s end device.

No description available.

Denna studie har undersökt hur kommuner i Stockholms län följer upp det systematiska kvalitetsarbetet vid de privata skolföretag som kommunen har avtal med för att erbjuda kommunal vuxenutbildning till sina kommuninvånare. Studien önskade att samla in en så heltäckande bild som möjligt gällande vilka arbetssätt som användes i denna uppföljning samt undersöka på vilket sätt uppföljningen kan bidra till ett förbättringsarbete. Datainsamlingsmetoden som valdes var enkäter, dessa skickades till rektorer på kommunerna och till rektorer på privata skolföretag. Enkäten som var riktad mot kommuner skickades ut till 22 rektorer som tillsammans representerade Stockholms läns 26 kommuner. Enkäten som var riktad mot skolor skickades ut till 39 rektorer som representerar de 39 privata skolföretag som har avtal med en eller flera av Stockholms läns kommuner. Svarsfrekvensen för respondenter från kommun blev 46,1% och respondenter från skola blev 28,2%. Den totala svarsfrekvensen landade på 35,3%.  Resultatet visade att de arbetssätt som användes var bland annat: ·         Kontinuerlig kontakt med skolorna under terminen ·         Fysiska besök på skolorna ·         Samla in elevers synpunkter ·         Läsa skolornas årsrapporter ·         Begära in olika typer av dokumentation ·         Begära in handlingsplaner när brister upptäcks ·         Skapande av forum för dialog och erfarenhetsbyte Resultatet visade att sätt där uppföljningen kunde leda till utvecklig var bland annat att: ·         Brister upptäcks ·         Uppföljningen underlättar dialog och vidare samarbete ·         Stöd gällande lag och förordning ·         Goda exempel kunde lyftas Resultat och analys visade dock att det fanns en viss diskrepans mellan svaren hos kommunrepresentanter och skolrepresentanter. Kommunrepresentanterna ansåg i högre utsträckning att uppföljningen var utformad i syfte att utveckla utbildningen tillsammans med skolan, att den dokumentation som begärdes in användes i ett utvecklingsarbete samt att arbetet har ett fokus på både kvalitetssäkring och kvalitetsutveckling medan skolrepresentanterna inte upplevde detsamma i lika stor utsträckning. / This study has examined how municipalities in Stockholm County follow up the systematic quality work at the private school companies with which the municipality has an agreement to offer municipal adult education for its municipal residents.  The data collection method chosen was questionnaires sent to principals in the municipalities and to principals of private school companies. The questionnaire, which was aimed at municipalities, was sent to 22 principals who together represented all the municipalities in Stockholm County. The questionnaire, which was aimed at schools, was sent out to 39 principals representing private school companies that have agreements with one or more municipalities in Stockholm. The response rate for respondents from the municipalities was 46,1% and respondents from school was 28,2%. The total response rate ended up at 35,3%.  The results showed that the methods used by the municipalities included: ·         continuous contact with the schools during the semester  ·         physical visits to the schools ·         collecting student views ·         reading annual reports ·         requesting different types of documentation ·         requesting action plans when deficiencies are discovered ·         creation of forums for dialogue and exchange of experience The results showed ways in which the follow-up could lead to development:  ·         discovering deficiencies ·         the follow-up facilitates dialogue and further cooperation ·         support for current law and regulations ·         good examples could be highlighted.  The results and the analysis showed, however, that there was a certain discrepancy between the answers of municipal representatives and school representatives. The municipal representatives considered to a greater extent that the follow-up was designed with the aim of improving the education together with the school, that the documentation requested was used in a development work and that the follow-up has a focus on both quality assurance and quality improvement while the school representatives did not fully experienced it in the same way. / <p>2022-06-05</p>

A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science / The effect of changing environmental conditions on microbial population structure can be observed at both the species and community level. Within the Escherichia coli species, null mutations in the RpoS stationary phase regulator are commonly selected by growth on poor carbon sources. In contrast, mutations which restore RpoS function may provide a selective advantage for cells exposed to environmental stress. The loss and subsequent restoration of RpoS form a population-level switch for adaptation within poor carbon and high stress environments. To investigate selection for RpoS reversion, we exposed rpoS-deficient E. coli to high salt concentrations and assessed the phenotype of presumptive mutants. 3-9% of salt-resistant mutants contained reversion mutations within rpoS, while in 91-97% the loss of RpoS function was maintained and mutations at alternative gene loci were identified. These results show that RpoS function can be restored in deficient E. coli under selective pressure. At the community level, the application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to characterize environmental microbial diversity can potentially augment traditional water quality monitoring methods. To investigate the use of NGS in identifying microbial taxa within the Niagara Region, we collected water samples from Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and nearby areas and examined the metagenome of microbial communities. A QIIME (Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology) analysis of sequence data identified significant differences in relative microbial abundance with respect to sample metadata (e.g. location and subtype), significant correlations between relative abundance and quantitative parameters (e.g. Escherichia coli counts and fecal DNA markers), and detected pathogen-containing taxa at a relative abundance of 0.1-1.5%. These results show that sequence-based analyses can be used in conjunction with traditional identification methods to profile the metagenomic community of environmental samples and predict water quality. Both within-species and community-wide analyses thus offer insight into how microbial populations respond and adapt to environmental fluctuations. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / The effect of changing environmental conditions on microbial population structure can be observed at both the species and community level. Within the Escherichia coli species, we investigated reversion of loss of function mutations in the RpoS protein regulator in high salt conditions and identified RpoS restoration under selective pressure. At the community level, we examined the microbial DNA of water samples from the Niagara Region under select environmental conditions and assessed the viability of next-generation sequencing in augmenting traditional water quality monitoring methods. Both within-species and community-wide analyses offer insight into how microbial populations respond and adapt to environmental fluctuations.

No description available.

Department of Hydrology and Water Resources / PhDH

<p>A neural network model was developed to predict the E. Coli levels and classes in six (6) select Lake Michigan beaches. Water quality observations at the time of sampling and discharge information from two close tributaries were used as input to predict the E. coli. This research was funded by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). A user-friendly Excel Sheet based tool was developed based on the best model for making future predictions of E. coli classes. This tool will facilitate beach managers to take real-time decisions.</p> <p>The nowcast model was developed based on historical tributary flows and water quality measurements (physical, chemical and biological). The model uses experimentally available information such as total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, pH, electrical conductivity, and water temperature to estimate whether the E. Coli counts would exceed the acceptable standard. For setting up this model, field data collection was carried out during 2019 beachgoer’s season.</p> <p>IDEM recommends posting an advisory at the beach indicating swimming and wading are not recommended when E. coli counts exceed advisory standards. Based on the advisory limit, a single water sample shall not exceed an E. Coli count of 235 colony forming units per 100 milliliters (cfu/100ml). Advisories are removed when bacterial levels fall within the acceptable standard. However, the E. coli results were available after a time lag leading to beach closures from previous day results. Nowcast models allow beach managers to make real-time beach advisory decisions instead of waiting a day or more for laboratory results to become available.</p> <p>Using the historical data, an extensive experiment was carried out, to obtain the suitable input variables and optimal neural network architecture. The best feed-forward neural network model was developed using Bayesian Regularization Neural Network (BRNN) training algorithm. Developed ANN model showed an average prediction accuracy of around 87% in predicting the E. coli classes. </p>

No description available.

This study addresses the challenges faced by industries requiring precise water quality monitoring by developing and evaluating a modular multi-sensor system. Existing solutions often lack scalability and flexibility, necessitating multiple devices for comprehensive analysis. The methodology employed a recursive prototype development approach, integrating various hardware and software components, including microcontrollers and a user-friendly mobile application. The prototype facilitated real-time data acquisition and management through a dedicated server, supporting essential water quality parameters such as pH, temperature, and conductivity. Results indicate that the system significantly enhances measurement accuracy and operational efficiency. However, the implementation of a smart home connectivity standard was unsuccessful, highlighting the complexities associated with integrating new communication protocols. Despite this, the system offers a scalable, cost-effective solution for continuous water quality monitoring, presenting significant improvements over existing technologies in terms of flexibility, user engagement, and data reliability. / Denna studie behandlar de utmaningar som industrier står inför som kräver noggrann övervakning av vattenkvalitet genom att utveckla och utvärdera ett modulärt multisensorsystem. Befintliga lösningar saknar ofta skalbarhet och flexibilitet, vilket kräver flera enheter för omfattande analys. Metodiken använde en rekursiv prototyputvecklingsansats, som integrerade olika hårdvaru- och mjukvarukomponenter, inklusive mikrokontroller och en användarvänlig mobilapplikation. Prototypen underlättade insamling och hantering av realtidsdata genom en dedikerad server, som stödde viktiga vattenkvalitetsparametrar såsom pH, temperatur och konduktivitet. Resultaten indikerar att systemet avsevärt förbättrar mätnoggrannhet och operationell effektivitet. Dock var implementeringen av smarta hem-anslutningsstandard inte framgångsrik, vilket belyser komplexiteten med att integrera nya kommunikationsprotokoll. Trots detta erbjuder systemet en skalbar, kostnadseffektiv lösning för kontinuerlig övervakning av vattenkvalitet, med betydande förbättringar jämfört med befintliga teknologier när det gäller flexibilitet, användarengagemang och datareliabilitet.