Data transfer is now an essential function for science discoveries, particularly within big data environments. To support data transfer for big data science, there is a need for high performance, ...scalable, end-to-end, and programmable networks that enable science applications to use the network most efficiently. The existing network paradigm that support big data science consists of three major components: terabit networks that provide high network bandwidths, Data Transfer Nodes (DTNs) and Science DMZ architecture that bypasses the performance hotspots in typical campus networks, and on-demand secure circuits/paths reservation systems, such as ESNet OSCARS and Internet2 AL2S, which provides automated, guaranteed bandwidth service in WAN. This network paradigm has proven to be very successful. However, to reach its full potentials, we claim that existing network paradigm for big data science must address three major problems: the last mile problem, the scalability problem, and the programmability problem. To address these problems, we proposed a solution called AmoebaNet. AmoebaNet applies Software Defined Networking (SDN) technology to provide “QoS-guaranteed” network services in campus or local area networks. AmoebaNet complements existing network paradigm for big data science: it allows application to program networks at run-time for optimum performance; and, in conjunction with WAN circuits/paths reservation system such as ESNet OSCARS and Internet2 AL2S; it solves the last mile problem and the scalability problem.
We search for correlations between the positions of extragalactic objects and the arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) with primary energy E > or =, slanted 40 EeV as observed ...by the surface detector array of the Telescope Array (TA) experiment during the first 40 months of operation. We examine several public astronomical object catalogs, including the Veron-Cetty and Veron catalog of active galactic nuclei. We count the number of TA events correlated with objects in each catalog as a function of three parameters: the maximum angular separation between a TA event and an object, the minimum energy of the events, and the maximum redshift of the objects. We determine the combination of these parameters that maximizes the correlations, and we calculate the probability of having the same levels of correlations from an isotropic distribution of UHECR arrival directions. No statistically significant correlations are found when penalties for scanning over the above parameters and for searching in several catalogs are taken into account.
A new laboratory test for evaluating the tracking and erosion performance of HV outdoor polymeric insulating materials is described. The materials evaluated include various formulations of HTV (high ...temperature vulcanized) silicone rubber and polyolefin polymers. The test is based on combining some features of the ASTM D2132 DF (dust and fog) test and the ASTM D2303 IP (inclined plane) test. The new test employs IP test geometry, IP test equipment, and IP specimen plaques. The plaque is coated with a mixture of clay and salt similar to the contaminant of the DF test and identical to the contaminant used in the IEC clean fog test to rate ceramic insulators for use in contaminated environments. A liquid contaminant with a conductivity similar to that of the DF test is applied to the test specimen in the same way as in the IP test. Data collected from the field on the maximum concentration of insoluble and soluble ionic materials on surfaces of contaminated insulators which have been for 21 years in contaminated regions, provide a basis for choosing the minimum concentration of the solid contaminant to apply to the specimens. This choice also serves to define, at least tentatively, the geographical area where the results of this test have significance. It is expected that this test could be used also for screening materials and obtaining a relative ranking of the tracking and erosion resistance of various materials. Measurements of the leakage current via a computerized data acquisition system, and the discharge activity with a high speed camera were performed, and have resulted in a better understanding of the onset of material degradation.
We examined the MLL translocation in two cases of infant AML with X chromosome disruption. The G-banded karyotype in the first case suggested t(X;3)(q22;p21)ins(X;11)(q22;q13q25). Southern blot ...analysis showed one MLL rearrangement. Panhandle PCR approaches were used to identify the MLL fusion transcript and MLL genomic breakpoint junction. SEPTIN6 from chromosome band Xq24 was the partner gene of MLL. MLL exon 7 was joined in-frame to SEPTIN6 exon 2 in the fusion transcript. The MLL genomic breakpoint was in intron 7; the SEPTIN6 genomic breakpoint was in intron 1. Spectral karyotyping revealed a complex rearrangement disrupting band 11q23. FISH with a probe for MLL confirmed MLL involvement and showed that the MLL-SEPTIN6 junction was on the der(X). The MLL genomic breakpoint was a functional DNA topoisomerase II cleavage site in an in vitro assay. In the second case, the karyotype revealed t(X;11)(q22;q23). Southern blot analysis showed two MLL rearrangements. cDNA panhandle PCR detected a transcript fusing MLL exon 8 in-frame to SEPTIN6 exon 2. MLL and SEPTIN6 are vulnerable to damage to form recurrent translocations in infant AML. Identification of SEPTIN6 and the SEPTIN family members hCDCrel and MSF as partner genes of MLL suggests a common pathway to leukaemogenesis.
Serial crystallography experiments produce massive amounts of experimental data. Yet in spite of these large‐scale data sets, only a small percentage of the data are useful for downstream analysis. ...Thus, it is essential to differentiate reliably between acceptable data (hits) and unacceptable data (misses). To this end, a novel pipeline is proposed to categorize the data, which extracts features from the images, summarizes these features with the `bag of visual words' method and then classifies the images using machine learning. In addition, a novel study of various feature extractors and machine learning classifiers is presented, with the aim of finding the best feature extractor and machine learning classifier for serial crystallography data. The study reveals that the oriented FAST and rotated BRIEF (ORB) feature extractor with a multilayer perceptron classifier gives the best results. Finally, the ORB feature extractor with multilayer perceptron is evaluated on various data sets including both synthetic and experimental data, demonstrating superior performance compared with other feature extractors and classifiers.
A machine learning method for distinguishing good and bad images in serial crystallography is presented. To reduce the computational cost, this uses the oriented FAST and rotated BRIEF feature extraction method from computer vision to detect image features, followed by a multilayer perceptron (neural network) to classify the images.
Background. Increased levels of collagen types I, III and V are found in strictures of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) compared with normal gut tissue. Type IV collagen is present in the basement ...membranes, basal lamina, retina and cornea. Elevated levels of antibody to Klebsiella pneumoniae are found in both active CD and active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients compared with healthy controls. Methods. Reactivities for immunoglobulin class‐specific antibodies (IgM, IgG and IgA) against collagen types I, III, IV, V and whole K. pneumoniae were measured by ELISA in nine patients with early CD and 10 with late CD from King's College Hospital and 12 late CD patients and 36 HLA‐B27‐positive AS patients from Middlesex Hospital and was compared with values for 26 healthy controls from the Blood Transfusion Service in London. Results. Levels of class‐specific IgM, IgG and IgA antibodies to collagen types I, III, IV, V and K. pneumoniae were significantly elevated in early and late CD patients compared with healthy controls (P<0.001). Levels of IgM, IgG antibody to the four collagen types and K. pneumoniae were also significantly elevated (P<0.001) in AS patients compared with healthy controls. In addition, the level of IgA antibody to K. pneumoniae was elevated in AS patients (P<0.001). Furthermore, a positive correlation between antibody levels to collagen types I, III, IV and K. pneumoniae was demonstrated in both early and late CD patients and in those with AS, whilst a positive correlation to type V was found in early CD. Conclusion. The role of K. pneumoniae and anti‐collagen antibodies in the aetiopathogenesis of CD and AS requires further study.
The paper presents the design and development of Terrain Mapping Camera-2 (TMC-2) for Chandrayaan-2 including science objectives; system and sub-system configuration along with the realized ...performance of the camera; payload characterization; aspects related to data products, etc. TMC-2, onboard Chandrayaan-2 orbiter-craft is a follow-on of the Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) onboard Chandrayaan-1. It operates in visible panchromatic band. It comprises three identical electro-optical chains aligned for three views (−25, 0 and +25 degree) along track direction for generation of stereo images. It provides data with 5 m horizontal ground sampling distance to generate digital elevation model. TMC-2 based on the new configuration and sub-system designs has reduction in mass and power by more than 40% compared to TMC, without compromising the performance.
To compute ratios of severe pregnancy complications (the number of hospitalizations for pregnancy complications per 100 deliveries) and to examine factors associated with their prevalence.
Using ...population-based California hospital discharge data to estimate hospitalization ratios of pregnancy complications during 1987-1992, we defined cases by preselected pregnancy complication codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, excluding induced abortions and delivery-associated complications. All hospital deliveries of liveborn or stillborn infants were included in our denominator. We examined ratios by age, race-ethnicity, payment source, total hospitalization charges, and length of hospital stay.
There were 833,264 hospitalizations for pregnancy complications in California (25 complications per 100 deliveries), which included admissions for preterm labor (33%), genitourinary infection (16%), and pregnancy-induced hypertension (15%). Age-specific ratios were highest for women 14 years old and younger (38 per 100 deliveries) and lowest for women 25-29 years old (23 per 100 deliveries). Ratios of complications varied by race-ethnicity; black women had the highest (42 per 100 deliveries), and Asian-Pacific Islander women had the lowest (21 per 100 deliveries). Ratios were unaffected by payment source. In 1987, Medicaid charges were $118 million for 33% of the number of total hospitalizations for complications. In 1992, such Medicaid hospitalizations accounted for $356 million (49%) of the $734 million in total charges and for 183,295 (45%) of the 409,000 total hospital days.
Our results showed disparities in ratios of severe complications of pregnancy by age and race-ethnicity as well as a shift of financial burden to Medicaid. These findings suggest that such complications may be reduced by identifying risk factors and targeting high-risk groups.
It is well established that mutations in specific structural elements of the motor protein myosin are directly linked to debilitating diseases involving malfunctioning striated muscle cells. A ...potential way to study the relationship between myosin structure and function is to express exogenous myosin in vivo and determine contractile properties of the transgenic muscle cells. However, in vivo expression of functional levels of contractile proteins using transient transgenesis in skeletal muscle has not been demonstrated. Presently, we used in vivo gene transfer to express high levels of full-length myosin light chain (MLC) in skeletal muscle fibers of Rana pipiens. Anterior tibialis (AT) muscles were injected with cardiotoxin to cause degeneration and then injected at various stages of regeneration with plasmid expression vectors encoding full-length MLC1(f). In fibers from the most robustly transfected muscles 3 weeks after plasmid injections, trans-MLC1(f) expression averaged 22-43% of the endogenous MLC1(f). Trans-MLC1(f) expression was the same whether a small epitope tag was placed on the C- or N-terminus and was highly variable along individual fibers. Confocal microscopy of skinned fibers showed correct sarcomeric incorporation of trans-MLC1(f). The expression profile of myosin heavy chain isoforms 21 days after transfection was similar to normal AT muscle. These data demonstrate the feasibility of using in vivo gene transfer to probe the structural basis of contractile protein function in skeletal muscle. Based on these promising results, we discuss how further improvements in the level and consistency of myosin transgene expression may be achieved in future studies, and the therapeutic potential of plasmid gene transfer in regenerating muscle.
To study the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in an urban Indian diabetic population.
A total of 5088 type 2 diabetes patients (2908 men and 2180 women) presenting to endocrinology clinics at ...four centers across Mumbai (a large metropolitan city in India) were selected for the study. Anthropometric (waist circumference), clinical (blood pressure) and biochemical (serum triglycerides, HDL, fasting and post-prandial blood glucose) data were recorded. Patients receiving treatment for hypertension or dyslipidemia were also included in the study and these were considered in the diagnosis of MetS even if the parameters were normal. The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines were used to diagnose MetS. The chi-square test was used to determine statistical significance, which was taken as a p value < 0.05.
The prevalence of MetS among urban Indian diabetic patients was 77.2% and was significantly higher in women (87.71%) as compared to men (69.33%) (p < 0.0001). The most prevalent risk factors for MetS were hypertension, followed by hypertriglyceridemia, in men, and central obesity, followed by hypertension, min women.
MetS is highly prevalent in the urban Indian diabetic population. It should be identified by regular screening in individuals from the general population to avert or delay the progression to type 2 diabetes in order to reduce diabetes-related morbidity and mortality.
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