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Abstract-This paper presents a novel method to blindly estimate the quality of a multimedia communication link by means of an unconventional use of digital fragile watermarking. Data hiding by digital watermarking is usually employed for multimedia copyright protection, authenticity verification, or similar purposes. However, watermarking is here adopted as a technique to provide a blind measure of the quality of service in multimedia communications. Specifically, a fragile watermark is hidden in an MPEG-like host data video transport stream using a spread-spectrum approach. Like a tracing signal, the watermark tracks the data, where it is embedded, since both the watermark and the host data follow the same communication link. The estimation of the tracing watermark allows dynamically evaluating the effective quality of the provided video services. This depends on the whole physical layer, including the employed video co/decoder. The performed method is based on the evaluation of the mean-square-error between the estimated and the actual watermarks. The proposed technique has been designed for application to wireless multimedia communication systems. According to the results obtained, the sensitivity of the detected tracing watermark on the quality of service (QoS) indices provides for some useful capabilities for analyzing future mobile Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) services.Index Terms-Multimedia communications, quality of service, UMTS services, video streaming, watermarking.

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Introduction Remote monitoring (RM) has significantly transformed the standard of care for patients with cardiac electronic implantable devices. It provides easy access to valuable information, such as arrhythmic events, acute decompensation manifestations and device‐related issues, without the need of in‐person visits. Methods Starting March 1st, 332 patients were introduced to an RM program during the Italian lockdown to limit the risk of in‐hospital exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus‐2. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the modality of RM delivery (home [n = 229] vs. office [n = 103] delivered). The study aimed at assessing the efficacy of the new follow‐up protocol, assessed as mean RM activation time (AT), and the need for technical support. In addition, patients' acceptance and anxiety status were quantified via the Home Monitoring Acceptance and Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7‐item scale. Results AT time was less than 48 h in 93% of patients and 7% of them required further technical support. Despite a higher number of trans‐telephonic technical support in the home‐delivered RM group, mean AT was similar between groups (1.33 ± 0.83 days in home‐delivered vs 1.28 ± 0.81 days in office‐delivered patients; p = .60). A total of 28 (2.5%) urgent/emergent in‐person examinations were required. A high degree of patient satisfaction was reached in both groups whereas anxiety status was higher in the office‐delivered group. Conclusions The adoption of RM resulted in high patient satisfaction, regardless of the modality of modem delivery; nonetheless, in‐office modem delivery was associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety symptoms.

In adipocytes of HIV-infected patients, the up-regulation of specific miRNAs could lead to an increased 'activation' that might contribute to the pathogenesis of HAL by increasing cell turnover and/or promotion of apoptosis.

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