A data preparation approach for cloud storage based on containerized parallel patterns

In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of an efficient data preparation and retrieval approach for cloud storage. The approach includes a deduplication subsystem that indexes the hash of each content to identify duplicated data. As a consequence, avoiding duplicated content reduces reprocessing time during uploads and other costs related to outsource data management tasks. Our proposed data preparation scheme enables organizations to add properties such as security, reliability, and cost-efficiency to their contents before sending them to the cloud. It also creates recovery schemes for organizations to share preprocessed contents with partners and end-users. The approach also includes an engine that encapsulates preprocessing applications into virtual containers (VCs) to create parallel patterns that improve the efficiency of data preparation retrieval process. In a study case, real repositories of satellite images, and organizational files were prepared to be migrated to the cloud by using processes such as compression, encryption, encoding for fault tolerance, and access control. The experimental evaluation revealed the feasibility of using a data preparation approach for organizations to mitigate risks that still could arise in the cloud. It also revealed the efficiency of the deduplication process to reduce data preparation tasks and the efficacy of parallel patterns to improve the end-user service experience.This research was supported by "Fondo Sectorial de Investigación para la Educación";, SEP-CONACyT Mexico, through projects 281565 and 285276

Drivers of overall satisfaction with primary care: Evidence from the English General Practice Patient Survey

This is the final version. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Background/objectives: To determine which aspects of primary care matter most to patients, we aim to identify those aspects of patient experience that show the strongest relationship with overall satisfaction and examine the extent to which these relationships vary by socio-demographic and health characteristics. Design/setting: Data from the 2009/10 English General Practice Patient Survey including 2 169 718 respondents registered with 8362 primary care practices. Measures/analyses: Linear mixed-effects regression models (fixed effects adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, deprivation, self-reported health, self-reported mental health condition and random practice effect) predicting overall satisfaction from six items covering four domains of care: access, helpfulness of receptionists, doctor communication and nurse communication. Additional models using interactions tested whether associations between patient experience and satisfaction varied by socio-demographic group. Results: Doctor communication showed the strongest relationship with overall satisfaction (standardized coefficient 0.48, 95% CI = 0.48, 0.48), followed by the helpfulness of reception staff (standardized coefficient 0.22, 95% CI = 0.22, 0.22). Among six measures of patient experience, obtaining appointments in advance showed the weakest relationship with overall satisfaction (standardized coefficient 0.06, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.06). Interactions showed statistically significant but small variation in the importance of drivers across different patient groups. Conclusions: For all patient groups, communication with the doctor is the most important driver of overall satisfaction with primary care in England, along with the helpfulness of receptionists. In contrast, and despite being a policy priority for government, measures of access, including the ability to obtain appointments, were poorly related to overall satisfaction.UK Department of HealthNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Type 2-Causing Coronavirus: Variants and Preventive Strategies

COVID-19 vaccines have constituted a substantial scientific leap in countering severe acute respiratory syndrome type 2-causing coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), and worldwide implementation of vaccination programs has significantly contributed to the global pandemic effort by saving many lives. However, the continuous evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome has resulted in different variants with a diverse range of mutations, some with enhanced virulence compared with previous lineages. Such variants are still a great concern as they have the potential to reduce vaccine efficacy and increase the viral transmission rate. This review summarizes the significant variants of SARS-CoV-2 encountered to date (December 2021) and discusses a spectrum of possible preventive strategies, with an emphasis on physical and materials science

Broken symmetry and the variation of critical properties in the phase behaviour of supramolecular rhombus tilings

The degree of randomness, or partial order, present in two-dimensional supramolecular arrays of isophthalate tetracarboxylic acids is shown to vary due to subtle chemical changes such as the choice of solvent or small differences in molecular dimensions. This variation may be quantified using an order parameter and reveals a novel phase behaviour including random tiling with varying critical properties as well as ordered phases dominated by either parallel or non-parallel alignment of neighbouring molecules, consistent with long-standing theoretical studies. The balance between order and randomness is driven by small differences in the intermolecular interaction energies, which we show, using numerical simulations, can be related to the measured order parameter. Significant variations occur even when the energy difference is much less than the thermal energy highlighting the delicate balance between entropic and energetic effects in complex self-assembly processes

Filoviruses utilize glycosaminoglycans for their attachment to target cells

Filoviruses are the cause of severe hemorrhagic fever in human and nonhuman primates. The envelope glycoprotein (GP), responsible for both receptor binding and fusion of the virus envelope with the host cell membrane, has been demonstrated to interact with multiple molecules in order to enhance entry into host cells. Here we have demonstrated that filoviruses utilize glycosaminoglycans, and more specifically heparan sulfate proteoglycans, for their attachment to host cells. This interaction is mediated by GP and does not require the presence of the mucin domain. Both the degree of sulfation and the structure of the carbohydrate backbone play a role in the interaction with filovirus GPs. This new step of filovirus interaction with host cells can potentially be a new target for antiviral strategies. As such, we were able to inhibit filovirus GP-mediated infection using carrageenan, a broad-spectrum microbicide that mimics heparin, and also using the antiviral dendrimeric peptide SB105-A10, which interacts with heparan sulfate, antagonizing the binding of the virus to cells

The Debrisoft ® monofilament debridement pad for use in acute or chronic wounds: A NICE medical technology guidance

As part of its Medical Technology Evaluation Programme, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) invited a manufacturer to provide clinical and economic evidence for the evaluation of the Debrisoft ® monofilament debridement pad for use in acute or chronic wounds. The University of Birmingham and Brunel University, acting as a consortium, was commissioned to act as an External Assessment Centre (EAC) for NICE, independently appraising the submission. This article is an overview of the original evidence submitted, the EAC’s findings and the final NICE guidance issued. The sponsor submitted a simple cost analysis to estimate the costs of using Debrisoft® to debride wounds compared with saline and gauze, hydrogel and larvae. Separate analyses were conducted for applications in home and applications in a clinic setting. The analysis took an UK National Health Service (NHS) perspective. It incorporated the costs of the technologies and supplementary technologies (such as dressings) and the costs of their application by a district nurse. The sponsor concluded that Debrisoft® was cost saving relative to the comparators. The EAC made amendments to the sponsor analysis to correct for errors and to reflect alternative assumptions. Debrisoft® remained cost saving in most analyses and savings ranged from £77 to £222 per patient compared with hydrogel, from £97 to £347 compared with saline and gauze, and from £180 to £484 compared with larvae depending on the assumptions included in the analysis and whether debridement took place in a home or clinic setting. All analyses were severely limited by the available data on effectiveness, in particular a lack of comparative studies and that the effectiveness data for the comparators came from studies reporting different clinical endpoints compared with Debrisoft®. The Medical Technologies Advisory Committee made a positive recommendation for adoption of Debrisoft® and this has been published as a NICE medical technology guidance (MTG17).The Birmingham and Brunel Consortium is funded by NICE to act as an External Assessment Centre for the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme