Research into display sharing techniques for distributed computing environments

The X-based Display Sharing solution for distributed computing environments is described. The Display Sharing prototype includes the base functionality for telecast and display copy requirements. Since the prototype implementation is modular and the system design provided flexibility for the Mission Control Center Upgrade (MCCU) operational consideration, the prototype implementation can be the baseline for a production Display Sharing implementation. To facilitate the process the following discussions are presented: Theory of operation; System of architecture; Using the prototype; Software description; Research tools; Prototype evaluation; and Outstanding issues. The prototype is based on the concept of a dedicated central host performing the majority of the Display Sharing processing, allowing minimal impact on each individual workstation. Each workstation participating in Display Sharing hosts programs to facilitate the user's access to Display Sharing as host machine

Compound Semiconductor Materials and Devices

Contains table of contents for Part I, table of contents for Section 1, reports on fourteen research projects and a list of publications.Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/National Center for Integrated Photonics TechnologyFannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate FellowshipJoint Services Electronics Program Grant DAAH04-95-1-0038National Science Foundation Graduate FellowshipNTT CorporationNational Science FoundationU.S. Navy - Office of Naval ResearchToshiba CorporationAT&T Bell Laboratories Graduate Fellowshi

Acute kidney disease and renal recovery : consensus report of the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) 16 Workgroup

Consensus definitions have been reached for both acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and these definitions are now routinely used in research and clinical practice. The KDIGO guideline defines AKI as an abrupt decrease in kidney function occurring over 7 days or less, whereas CKD is defined by the persistence of kidney disease for a period of > 90 days. AKI and CKD are increasingly recognized as related entities and in some instances probably represent a continuum of the disease process. For patients in whom pathophysiologic processes are ongoing, the term acute kidney disease (AKD) has been proposed to define the course of disease after AKI; however, definitions of AKD and strategies for the management of patients with AKD are not currently available. In this consensus statement, the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) proposes definitions, staging criteria for AKD, and strategies for the management of affected patients. We also make recommendations for areas of future research, which aim to improve understanding of the underlying processes and improve outcomes for patients with AKD

Compound Semiconductor Materials and Devices

Contains table of contents for Part I, table of contents for Section 1, an introduction, reports on fourteen research projects and a list of publications.Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/National Center for Integrated Photonics TechnologyJoint Services Electronics Program Grant DAAH04-95-1-0038MIT Lincoln LaboratoryNational Science Foundation Graduate FellowshipU.S. Navy - Office of Naval ResearchAT&T Bell Laboratories FellowshipU.S. Army - Ft. MeadeNTT CorporationNational Science FoundationLockheed-Martin Corporatio

Neoplastic transformation of breast epithelial cells by genotoxic stress

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exposure to genotoxic stresses such as radiation and tobacco smoke can cause increased cancer incidence rate as reflected in an in depth meta-analysis of data for women and breast cancer incidence. Published reports have indicated that exposures to low dose radiation and tobacco smoke are factors that contribute to the development of breast cancer. However, there is a scarcity of information on the combinatorial effects of low dose radiation and tobacco smoke on formation and progression of breast cancer. The combination of these two genotoxic insults can induce significant damage to the genetic material of the cells resulting in neoplastic transformation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To study the effects of low dose ionizing radiation and tobacco smoke on breast cells, MCF 10A cells were treated either with radiation (Rad - 0.1 Gray) or cigarette smoke condensate (Csc - 10 microgram/ml of medium) or a combination of Rad + Csc. Following treatments, cells were analyzed for cell cycle distribution patterns and the ability to extrude the Hoechst 33342 dye. In addition, <it>in vitro </it>invasion and migration as well as mammosphere formation assays were performed. Finally, differential gene expression profiles were generated from the individual and combination treatment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Exposure of MCF 10A cells to the combination of radiation plus cigarette smoke condensate generated a neoplastic phenotype. The transformed phenotype promoted increased mammosphere numbers, altered cell cycle phases with a doubling of the population in S phase, and increased invasion and motility. Also, exclusion of Hoechst 33342 dye, a surrogate marker for increased ABC transporters, was observed, which indicates a possible increase in drug resistance. In addition, changes in gene expression include the up regulation of genes encoding proteins involved in metabolic pathways and inflammation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results indicate that when normal breast cells are exposed to low dose radiation in combination with cigarette smoke condensate a phenotype is generated that exhibits traits indicative of neoplastic transformation. More importantly, this is the first study to provide a new insight into a possible etiology for breast cancer formation in individuals exposed to low dose radiation and tobacco smoke.</p

Sympatho-renal axis in chronic disease

Essential hypertension, insulin resistance, heart failure, congestion, diuretic resistance, and functional renal disease are all characterized by excessive central sympathetic drive. The contribution of the kidney’s somatic afferent nerves, as an underlying cause of elevated central sympathetic drive, and the consequences of excessive efferent sympathetic signals to the kidney itself, as well as other organs, identify the renal sympathetic nerves as a uniquely logical therapeutic target for diseases linked by excessive central sympathetic drive. Clinical studies of renal denervation in patients with resistant hypertension using an endovascular radiofrequency ablation methodology have exposed the sympathetic link between these conditions. Renal denervation could be expected to simultaneously affect blood pressure, insulin resistance, sleep disorders, congestion in heart failure, cardiorenal syndrome and diuretic resistance. The striking epidemiologic evidence for coexistence of these disorders suggests common causal pathways. Chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system has been associated with components of the metabolic syndrome, such as blood pressure elevation, obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired fasting glucose with hyperinsulinemia. Over 50% of patients with essential hypertension are hyperinsulinemic, regardless of whether they are untreated or in a stable program of treatment. Insulin resistance is related to sympathetic drive via a bidirectional mechanism. In this manuscript, we review the data that suggests that selective impairment of renal somatic afferent and sympathetic efferent nerves in patients with resistant hypertension both reduces markers of central sympathetic drive and favorably impacts diseases linked through central sympathetics—insulin resistance, heart failure, congestion, diuretic resistance, and cardiorenal disorders

The Bifidobacterium dentium Bd1 Genome Sequence Reflects Its Genetic Adaptation to the Human Oral Cavity

Bifidobacteria, one of the relatively dominant components of the human intestinal microbiota, are considered one of the key groups of beneficial intestinal bacteria (probiotic bacteria). However, in addition to health-promoting taxa, the genus Bifidobacterium also includes Bifidobacterium dentium, an opportunistic cariogenic pathogen. The genetic basis for the ability of B. dentium to survive in the oral cavity and contribute to caries development is not understood. The genome of B. dentium Bd1, a strain isolated from dental caries, was sequenced to completion to uncover a single circular 2,636,368 base pair chromosome with 2,143 predicted open reading frames. Annotation of the genome sequence revealed multiple ways in which B. dentium has adapted to the oral environment through specialized nutrient acquisition, defences against antimicrobials, and gene products that increase fitness and competitiveness within the oral niche. B. dentium Bd1 was shown to metabolize a wide variety of carbohydrates, consistent with genome-based predictions, while colonization and persistence factors implicated in tissue adhesion, acid tolerance, and the metabolism of human saliva-derived compounds were also identified. Global transcriptome analysis demonstrated that many of the genes encoding these predicted traits are highly expressed under relevant physiological conditions. This is the first report to identify, through various genomic approaches, specific genetic adaptations of a Bifidobacterium taxon, Bifidobacterium dentium Bd1, to a lifestyle as a cariogenic microorganism in the oral cavity. In silico analysis and comparative genomic hybridization experiments clearly reveal a high level of genome conservation among various B. dentium strains. The data indicate that the genome of this opportunistic cariogen has evolved through a very limited number of horizontal gene acquisition events, highlighting the narrow boundaries that separate commensals from opportunistic pathogens

Host Specific Diversity in Lactobacillus johnsonii as Evidenced by a Major Chromosomal Inversion and Phage Resistance Mechanisms

Genetic diversity and genomic rearrangements are a driving force in bacterial evolution and niche adaptation. We sequenced and annotated the genome of Lactobacillus johnsonii DPC6026, a strain isolated from the porcine intestinal tract. Although the genome of DPC6026 is similar in size (1.97mbp) and GC content (34.8%) to the sequenced human isolate L. johnsonii NCC 533, a large symmetrical inversion of approximately 750 kb differentiated the two strains. Comparative analysis among 12 other strains of L. johnsonii including 8 porcine, 3 human and 1 poultry isolate indicated that the genome architecture found in DPC6026 is more common within the species than that of NCC 533. Furthermore a number of unique features were annotated in DPC6026, some of which are likely to have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and contribute to protection against phage infection. A putative type III restriction-modification system was identified, as were novel Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) elements. Interestingly, these particular elements are not widely distributed among L. johnsonii strains. Taken together these data suggest intra-species genomic rearrangements and significant genetic diversity within the L. johnsonii species and indicate towards a host-specific divergence of L. johnsonii strains with respect to genome inversion and phage exposure

Exercise and manual physiotherapy arthritis research trial (EMPART): a multicentre randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip is a major cause of functional disability and reduced quality of life. Management options aim to reduce pain and improve or maintain physical functioning. Current evidence indicates that therapeutic exercise has a beneficial but short-term effect on pain and disability, with poor long-term benefit. The optimal content, duration and type of exercise are yet to be ascertained. There has been little scientific investigation into the effectiveness of manual therapy in hip OA. Only one randomized controlled trial (RCT) found greater improvements in patient-perceived improvement and physical function with manual therapy, compared to exercise therapy. METHODS AND DESIGN: An assessor-blind multicentre RCT will be undertaken to compare the effect of a combination of manual therapy and exercise therapy, exercise therapy only, and a waiting-list control on physical function in hip OA. One hundred and fifty people with a diagnosis of hip OA will be recruited and randomly allocated to one of 3 groups: exercise therapy, exercise therapy with manual therapy and a waiting-list control. Subjects in the intervention groups will attend physiotherapy for 6-8 sessions over 8 weeks. Those in the control group will remain on the waiting list until after this time and will then be re-randomised to one of the two intervention groups. Outcome measures will include physical function (WOMAC), pain severity (numerical rating scale), patient perceived change (7-point Likert scale), quality of life (SF-36), mood (hospital anxiety and depression scale), patient satisfaction, physical activity (IPAQ) and physical measures of range of motion, 50-foot walk and repeated sit-to stand tests. DISCUSSION: This RCT will compare the effectiveness of the addition of manual therapy to exercise therapy to exercise therapy only and a waiting-list control in hip OA. A high quality methodology will be used in keeping with CONSORT guidelines. The results will contribute to the evidence base regarding the clinical efficacy for physiotherapy interventions in hip OA