Abstract
Dynamic personalization of media content is the latest challenge for media content producers and distributors. The idea is to adapt in near real time the content of a video stream to the viewer's profile. This concept encompasses any type of context-awareness customisation, expressed preferences and viewer profiling. To achieve this goal we propose a multi tier framework composed of a content production tier, a content distribution tier and a content consumption tier, representing producers, distributors and viewers, plus an artefact brokerage tier, implemented as an agent-based e brokerage platform, to support the dynamic selection of the content to be inserted in the video stream of each viewer. © 2011 IEEE.

Abstract
The current ubiquitous network access and increase in network bandwidth are driving the sales of mobile location-aware user devices and, consequently, the development of context-aware applications, namely location-based services. The goal of this project is to provide consumers of location-based services with a richer end-user experience by means of service composition, personalization, device adaptation and continuity of service. Our approach relies on a multi-agent system composed of proxy agents that act as mediators and providers of personalization meta-services, device adaptation and continuity of service for consumers of pre-existing location-based services. These proxy agents, which have Web services interfaces to ensure a high level of interoperability, perform service composition and take in consideration the preferences of the users, the limitations of the user devices, making the usage of different types of devices seamless for the end-user. To validate and evaluate the performance of this approach, use cases were defined, tests were conducted and results gathered which demonstrated that the initial goals were successfully fulfilled.

Abstract
Long-term variability in global sea surface temperature (SST) is often quantified by the slope from a linear regression fit. Attention is then focused on assessing the statistical significance of the derived slope parameter, but the adequacy of the linear model itself, and the inherent assumption of a deterministic linear trend, is seldom tested. Here, a parametric statistical test is applied to test the hypothesis of a linear deterministic trend in global sea surface temperature. The results show that a linear slope is not adequate for describing the long-term variability of sea surface temperature over most of the earth's surface. This does not mean that sea surface temperature is not increasing, rather that the increase should not be characterized by the slope from a linear fit. Therefore, describing the long-term variability of sea surface temperature by implicitly assuming a deterministic linear trend can give misleading results, particularly in terms of uncertainty, since the actual increase could be considerably larger than the one predicted by a deterministic linear model.

Abstract
Time series of daily mean temperature obtained from the European Climate Assessment data set is analyzed with respect to their extremal properties. A time-series clustering approach which combines Bayesian methodology, extreme value theory and classification techniques is adopted for the analysis of the regional variability of temperature extremes. The daily mean temperature records are clustered on the basis of their corresponding predictive distributions for 25-, 50- and 100-year return values. The results of the cluster analysis show a clear distinction between the highest altitude stations, for which the return values are lowest, and the remaining stations. Furthermore, a clear distinction is also found between the northernmost stations in Scandinavia and the stations in central and southern Europe. This spatial structure of the return period distributions for 25-, 50- and 100-years seems to be consistent with projected changes in the variability of temperature extremes over Europe pointing to a different behavior in central Europe than in northern Europe and the Mediterranean area, possibly related to the effect of soil moisture and land-atmosphere coupling.

Abstract
Radon has continuously been monitored at the Roman spring of Tiberias, Israel since 2000 in the frame of an earthquake research project. However, there was no apparent earthquake related radon anomaly in 5 years of monitoring. Physical mechanisms behind periodic as well as transient radon variations were investigated. The radon signal contained periodic daily and non-periodic multi-day variations as well as seasonal patterns with maxima during winter. Spectral analysis showed diurnal and semidiurnal periodic constituents while tidal effects were absent. In 2003 the long-term average radon concentration dropped by 35%. Coevally, the diurnal and semi-diurnal radon variability considerably decreased. In contrast, the intensity of large-scale signals, corresponding to multi-day radon variability, increased. At this stage the level of the Kinneret Lake is suspected to be the driving force for the radon drop. Until 2003 the lake level hovered around 214 m below sea-level. In spring 2003 the lake level had risen by 4 m. The distance between the monitoring station and the lake shore is about 50 m. The radon concentration inversely followed the lake level with a time delay of about 3 months. Radon measured at a natural hot spring should depend on the flow rate of the hot water rising on the border faults of the pull-apart basin. Increased flow means less time for radon to decay and thus a positive correlation between the flow rate and the radon concentration is expected. Flow velocity is controlled by (i) the pressure at depth, and (ii) the fracture width. Both are affected by the loading forces of the graben filling to which the water column of the lake contributes. Due to the lack of data about the mass flow rates from the spring, a direct link between the flow rate and the radon concentrations cannot be proven. In fact, the hot water discharge seemed to be very stable in time. So, either minor changes of the flow rate affect the radon concentration or another mechanism is needed to explain the observations, e.g., the pressure-dependent gas solubility or the pressure-dependent mixing of different groundwater components. Nevertheless, this does not explain the appearance of long-periodic, intra-seasonal radon signals (with periods in the order of I month) which were practically absent before 2003. Such long-periodic radon signals were not reported till today.

Abstract
Mostly accepted and widely reported radon (Rn(222)) measurements, a tool for earthquake precursor research, is a part of multi-parametric geophysical observation in the Garhwal Lesser Himalaya for earthquake related studies. Radon is being recorded continuously at an interval of 15 min at 10 m depth in a 68 m deep borehole. Three years high resolution 15 min data at 10 m depth shows a complex trend and has a strong seasonal effect along with some diurnal, semi-diurnal and multi-day recurring trends. A well-defined seasonal pattern is prominent with a high emanation in summer and low values in winter accounting for about a 30% decrease in count values in winter when the atmospheric temperature is very low at this station located 1.90 km above mean sea level. Diurnal, semi-diurnal and multi-day trends in this time-series are mainly observed during April-May and October-November. This is the period of spring and autumn when there is a high contrast in day-night atmospheric temperature. Hence the high fluctuation in Rn concentration is mainly caused by the temperature contrast between the air-column inside the borehole and the atmosphere above the earth's surface.