Hybrid Algorithm for Selecting Multimedia Network Connections in Heterogeneous Networks

Tein-Yaw Chung,Ibrahim Mashal,Fong-Ching Yuan,Yuan-Hao Chiang,Osama Alsaryrah 한국산학기술학회 2015 SmartCR Vol.5 No.6

The heterogeneity of mobile and wireless networks exposes mobile users to different access network technologies. In the past, many paradigms have been introduced, such as Always Best Connected (ABC) and Always Best Network Connection (ABNC), to meet user’s preferences. However, they fail to consider multimedia services consisting of video and data, besides voice, for both source and destination. This paper presents a new model called Always Best Multiple Network Connection (ABMNC) to support multimedia services. ABMNC is first formulated as a Multiple Attribute Decision Making (MADM) problem with an embedded utility-based Multiple Knapsack Problem (MKP). In order to reduce computation complexity, the MADM hierarchy of ABMNC is decomposed into a number of iterated sub-MADM hierarchies, and a hybrid Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and a Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) scheme are used to solve them. A novel Heuristic Rate Allocation Algorithm (HRAA) is then presented to reduce the computation complexity of the assignment and rate allocation. Moreover, a comprehensive Heuristic Path Selection Algorithm (HPSA) is proposed to efficiently resolve the ABMNC hierarchy. Finally, computer simulation is performed to study ABMNC, and the results show that our approach, most of the time, chooses the optimal network connections.

A Novel Bandwidth Estimation Method Based on MACD for DASH

( Van-huy Vu ),( Ibrahim Mashal ),( Tein-yaw Chung ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2017 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.11 No.3

Nowadays, Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) has become very popular in streaming multimedia contents. In DASH, a client estimates current network bandwidth and then determines an appropriate video quality with bitrate matching the estimated bandwidth. Thus, estimating accurately the available bandwidth is a significant premise in the quality of video streaming, especially when network traffic fluctuates substantially. To cope with this challenge, researchers have presented various filters to estimate network bandwidth adap-tively. However, experiment results show that current schemes either adapt slowly to net-work changes or adapt fast but are very sensitive to delay jitter and produce sharply changed estimation. This paper presents a novel bandwidth estimation scheme based on Moving Av-erage Convergence Divergence (MACD). We applied an MACD indicator and its two thresholds to classifying network states into stable state and agile state, based on the network state different filters are applied to estimate network bandwidth. In the paper, we studied the performance of various MACD indicators and the threshold values on bandwidth estimation. Then we used a DASH proxy-based environment to compare the performance of the present-ed scheme with current well-known schemes. The simulation results illustrate that the MACD-based bandwidth estimation scheme performs superior to existing schemes both in the speed of adaptively to network changes and in stability in bandwidth estimation.

Evaluation of Zinc and Homocysteine Status in Pregnant Women and Their Association with Pre-eclampsia in Jordan

Nawal Ahmad Al-Sakarneh,Rima Hussein Mashal 한국식품영양과학회 2021 Preventive Nutrition and Food Science Vol.26 No.1

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is considered a major complication of pregnancy. Hyperhomocyteinemia (H-Hcy) has been proposed to be associated with a number of placenta-mediated diseases, such as PE. Zinc (Zn) is involved in the regulation of total homocysteine (Hcy) levels. A case-control study design was used to examine serum Zn and Hcy statuses, and their association to PE risk. Thirty pregnant women with PE 21∼35 years of age, and 30 matched healthy pregnant women were recruited from Amman, Jordan. Plasma Hcy was measured using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and Zn was measured using atomic absorption. Hcy levels were significantly higher among women with PE compared with controls (16.35±0.43 and 7.25±0.21µmol/L, respectively; P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in Zn levels between women with PE and controls (65.37±1.27 and 63.71±1.24µg/dL, respectively; P>0.05). Blood levels of Hcy (µmol/L) were positively associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (β=3.54 and β=1.81, respectively; P< 0.05), and Zn levels [odds ratios (OR)=0.84; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.71∼0.98] were significantly associated with PE risk (P<0.05). Although women with PE had significantly higher Hcy levels than controls, H-Hcy was not associated with increased PE risk. However, there was a strong association between severity of hypertension and serum Hcy levels, and serum Zn levels were inversely associated with H-Hcy. The likelihood of PE was significantly higher in women who were Zn deficient compared with healthy controls. To conclude, early management of H-Hcy and associated risk factors may be effective in decreasing the incidence of PE.

Application of positive matrix factorization and pollutants tracing for identification of dust sources: A case study in Khuzestan, Iran

Zahra Akbari,Omidreza Kakuee,Reza Shahbazi,Javad Darvishi Khatooni,Mahdi Mashal 대한환경공학회 2022 Environmental Engineering Research Vol.27 No.6

In this study for identification of internal and external origins of dust events in the southwest of Iran, for the first time, a comprehensive dust sampling was performed in nine regions of Khuzestan over the four seasons. The dust samples were analyzed using INAA nuclear technique. Factors obtained from applying the PMF Modeling indicated five kinds of pollutant sources which include 1) Sedimentary surface soil/dried bed of wetlands, 2) steel and metalworking industries, 3) refineries, 4) waste, and 5) solid fuel as well as oil fuel power plants. These identified sources were used as the tracers to identify the internal dust sources. Investigation of NASA AOT images and the synoptic data at the event dates showed that in the period of mid-autumn up to the early winter, dust events had external origins, that are mainly situated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, while in the period of mid-summer to early autumn and mid-winter up to the early spring, the internal sources such as mud-salt zones or areas with fine sediments with evaporitic deposits and puffy grounds in the regions between Omidieh - Mahshahr, south, and southeast of Ahvaz, “Dasht-E-Azadegan,” and dried bed of Hoor-Al-Azim are more dominant.

Fast activation of natural biomasses by microwave heating

Ayman A. Issa,Yahya S. Al-Degs,Kholoud Mashal,Ramia Z. Al Bakain 한국공업화학회 2015 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.21 No.1

Microwave was effectively applied as a fast heating tool for activating two natural biomasses, pine woodand Arabica coffee residues. The heated biomasses were tested for removing four food dyes: Allura RedE129, Sunset Yellow E110, Tartrazine E102, and Brilliant Black E151 from solution. The biomasses wereheated by 2.45 GHz microwaves at different input powers 200–1000Wfor 8 min. The results indicatedthat heating at high input powers is necessary to activate biomasses and to enhance dyes adsorption. Dielectrical properties (dielectric constant e0 , dielectric loss e00 , tangent loss tan d, and penetration depthdp) indicated that Arabica coffee is a better microwave absorber leading to significant structural damagewhen heating at high input powers. Microwave-heated pine wood showed a better performance for dyesremoval compare to coffee residue. Heating at 1000W is not recommended for both biomasses whereoxidation reactions destroyed the structure of the materials. Moreover, microwave heating for longtimes had a bad influence on dyes removal. %Removal–adsorption capacity plot indicated that 0.8 and1.0 g/100 mL is the optimum adsorbent dosage for E110 and E129, respectively. Analysis by Langmuirequation revealed that saturation values were 9.3 and 7.2 mg/g for E110 and E129 at pH 2.0 and 25 8C,receptively. Dyes removal by microwave-heated wood was a fast process and more than 90% ofadsorbent’s capacity was utilised within 30 min.

Inhibitory Effect of Ginseng on Breast Cancer Cell Line Growth Via Up-Regulation of Cyclin Dependent Kinase Inhibitor, p21 and p53

Shabanah, Othman A AL,Alotaibi, Moureq R,Rejaie, Salim S Al,Alhoshani, Ali R,Almutairi, Mashal M,Alshammari, Musaad A,Hafez, Mohamed M Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.11

Objective: Breast cancer is global female health problem worldwide. Most of the currently used agents for breast cancer treatment have toxic side-effects. Ginseng root, an oriental medicine, has many health benefits and may exhibit direct anti-cancer properties. This study was performed to assess the effects of ginseng on breast cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity of ginseng extract was measured by MTT assay after exposure of MDA-MB-231, MCF-10A and MCF-7 breast cancer cells to concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 mg/well. Expression levels of p21WAF, p16INK4A, Bcl-2, Bax and P53 genes were analyzed by quantitative real time PCR. Results: The treatment resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation in a dose-and time-dependent manner. p53, p21WAF1and p16INK4A expression levels were up-regulated in ginseng treated MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cells compared to untreated controls and in MCF-10A cells. The expression levels of Bcl2 in the MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells were down-regulated. In contrast, that of Bax was significantly up-regulated. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that ginseng may inhibit breast cancer cell growth by activation of the apoptotic pathway.