Architecture of Job scheduling simulator for demand response based resource provisioning

We study a new service model based on the Demand Response (DR) resource provisioning at High Performance Computing (HPC) centers. This DR-based resource provisioning model allows administrators of HPC centers to provide computing services with incentives to users to compensate for the performance loss due to power saving operations. In a power conservation mode, a job’s performance may decrease, both in terms of a job waiting time and a job execution time. With DR-based resource provisioning, the submitted jobs are divided into two categories, allowed jobs and disallowed jobs, depending on the user’s tolerance in the performance degradation. The allowed jobs, if indeed affected by the power saving operations, will receive compensation in accordance with an incentive system which determines the reward to the user. For designing an appropriate demand response model, we need to focus on the increase in the job’s execution time and the job’s waiting time, and the corresponding decrease in the power consumption. These are important factors in deriving an incentive system. Currently, no existing approaches can reliably quantify the effectiveness and the contribution of these factors in HPC job scheduling and resource provisioning. In this paper, we propose a newly developed job scheduling simulator that can evaluate DR-based resource provisioning approach under various operating conditions. We designed and implemented the job scheduling simulator for HPC demand-response resource provisioning using a general-purpose discrete-event simulator. Our experiments show that the job scheduling simulator can properly represent the demand response resource provisioning using different job scheduling scenarios

A Case of Ovarian Strumal Carcinoid. A Histochemical, Immunohistochemical and Ultrastructural Study

A histochemical, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study was made on a case of ovarian strumal carcinoid arising from a mature cystic teratoma. This tumor formed a solid nodule and was histologically composed of both thyroid tissue and carcinoid tumor. In this nodule, the carcinoid component was predominant and a trabecular pattern was observed with ribbons of identical cells. Carcinoid cells had argyrophilic granules with Grimelius stain, but argyrophilic granules could not be detected in the thyroid tissue. Both components were negative to Masson-Fontana reaction. By immunoperoxidase technique, immunoreactive thyroglobulin was demonstrated within the thyroid follicles and their epithelial cells. Serotonin was positive in some of the carcinoid cells, but negative in the thyroid components. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), calcitonin, cdetoprotein and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were all negative in these components. Microfollicles or acinar structures in the intermediate zone from the thyroid tissue to the carcinoid component showed a mixed characteristic, being positive for thyroglobulin and Grimelius stain. Electron microscopically, round and densecored neurosecretory granules could be seen in the cytoplasm of the trabecular part. These findings suggest that strumal carcinoid developed in close association with the teratomatous thyroid tissue in the mature cystic teratoma of the ovary

In vitro evaluation method for screening of candidate prebiotic foods

AbstractThe aim of this work was to develop a simple and rapid in vitro evaluation method for screening and discovery of uncharacterised and untapped prebiotic foods. Using a NMR-based metabolomic approach coupled with multivariate statistical analysis, the metabolic profiles generated by intestinal microbiota after in vitro incubation with feces were examined. The viscous substances of Japanese bunching onion (JBOVS) were identified as one of the candidate prebiotic foods by this in vitro screening method. The JBOVS were primarily composed of sugar components, especially fructose-based carbohydrates. Our results suggested that ingestion of JBOVS contributed to lactate and acetate production by the intestinal microbiota, and were accompanied by an increase in the Lactobacillus murinus and Bacteroidetes sp. populations in the intestine and fluctuation of the host-microbial co-metabolic process. Therefore, our approach should be useful as a rapid and simple screening tool for potential prebiotic foods

Two-component Analogue of Two-dimensional Long Wave-Short Wave Resonance Interaction Equations: A Derivation and Solutions

The two-component analogue of two-dimensional long wave-short wave resonance interaction equations is derived in a physical setting. Wronskian solutions of the integrable two-component analogue of two-dimensional long wave-short wave resonance interaction equations are presented.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, revised version; The pdf file including all figures: http://www.math.utpa.edu/kmaruno/yajima.pd

Differential-difference system related to toroidal Lie algebra

We present a novel differential-difference system in (2+1)-dimensional space-time (one discrete, two continuum), arisen from the Bogoyavlensky's (2+1)-dimensional KdV hierarchy. Our method is based on the bilinear identity of the hierarchy, which is related to the vertex operator representation of the toroidal Lie algebra \sl_2^{tor}.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, pLaTeX2e, uses amsmath, amssymb, amsthm, graphic

Functional evaluation of lung by Xe-133 lung ventilation scintigraphy before and after lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in patients with pulmonary emphysema.

We evaluated the respiratory functions of patients with pulmonary emphysema who underwent lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) by the mean transit time (MTT) with Xe-133 lung ventilation scintigraphy, forced expiration volume in 1 sec (FEV1.0), residual volume (RV), distance walked in 6 min (6-min walk), and the Hugh-Jones classification (H-J classification) before and after LVRS. In 69 patients with pulmonary emphysema (62 men, 7 women; age range, 47-75 years; mean age, 65.4 years +/- 6.1, preoperative H-J classification, III (two were II)-V) who underwent LVRS, all preoperative and postoperative parameters (MTT 3 weeks after LVRS and the others 3 months after LVRS) were judged statistically by the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test and Odds ratio. Every postoperative parameter was improved with a significant difference (P &#60; 0.05) compared to preoperative parameters. MTT at 3 weeks after LVRS was not associated with %FEV1.0 and the H-J classification at 3 months after LVRS, but was associated with RV and a 6-min walk at 3 months after LVRS. MTT was useful for the clinical evalution of aerobic capability after LVRS.</p

Present developments in reaching an international consensus for a model-based approach to particle beam therapy

Particle beam therapy (PBT), including proton and carbon ion therapy, is an emerging innovative treatment for cancer patients. Due to the high cost of and limited access to treatment, meticulous selection of patients who would benefit most from PBT, when compared with standard X-ray therapy (XRT), is necessary. Due to the cost and labor involved in randomized controlled trials, the model-based approach (MBA) is used as an alternative means of establishing scientific evidence in medicine, and it can be improved continuously. Good databases and reasonable models are crucial for the reliability of this approach. The tumor control probability and normal tissue complication probability models are good illustrations of the advantages of PBT, but pre-existing NTCP models have been derived from historical patient treatments from the XRT era. This highlights the necessity of prospectively analyzing specific treatment-related toxicities in order to develop PBT-compatible models. An international consensus has been reached at the Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE) joint symposium, concluding that a systematically developed model is required for model accuracy and performance. Six important steps that need to be observed in these considerations include patient selection, treatment planning, beam delivery, dose verification, response assessment, and data analysis. Advanced technologies in radiotherapy and computer science can be integrated to improve the efficacy of a treatment. Model validation and appropriately defined thresholds in a cost-effectiveness centered manner, together with quality assurance in the treatment planning, have to be achieved prior to clinical implementation

Prognostic impact of clinical factors for immune checkpoint inhibitor with or without chemotherapy in older patients with non-small cell lung cancer and PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50%

IntroductionThe proportion of older patients diagnosed with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been increasing. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy (MONO) and combination therapy of ICI and chemotherapy (COMBO) are standard treatments for patients with NSCLC and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion scores (TPS) ≥ 50%. However, evidence from the clinical trials specifically for older patients is limited. Thus, it is unclear which older patients benefit more from COMBO than MONO.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 199 older NSCLC patients of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 0-1 and PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50% who were treated with MONO or COMBO. We analyzed the association between treatment outcomes and baseline patient characteristics in each group, using propensity score matching.ResultsOf the 199 patients, 131 received MONO, and 68 received COMBO. The median overall survival (OS; MONO: 25.2 vs. COMBO: 42.2 months, P = 0.116) and median progression-free survival (PFS; 10.9 vs. 11.8 months, P = 0.231) did not significantly differ between MONO and COMBO group. In the MONO group, OS was significantly shorter in patients without smoking history compared to those with smoking history [HR for smoking history against non-smoking history: 0.36 (95% CI: 0.16-0.78), P = 0.010]. In the COMBO group, OS was significantly shorter in patients with PS 1 than those with PS 0 [HR for PS 0 against PS 1: 3.84 (95% CI: 1.44-10.20), P = 0.007] and for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SQ) compared to non-squamous cell carcinoma (non-SQ) [HR for SQ against non-SQ: 0.17 (95% CI: 0.06-0.44), P &lt; 0.001]. For patients with ECOG PS 0 (OS: 26.1 months vs. not reached, P = 0.0031, PFS: 6.5 vs. 21.7 months, P = 0.0436) or non-SQ (OS: 23.8 months vs. not reached, P = 0.0038, PFS: 10.9 vs. 17.3 months, P = 0.0383), PFS and OS were significantly longer in the COMBO group.ConclusionsECOG PS and histological type should be considered when choosing MONO or COMBO treatment in older patients with NSCLC and PD-L1 TPS ≥ 50%