Energy consumption for data distribution in content delivery networks

A considerable percentage of worldwide electrical energy is consumed by information and communication technology. One significant element in this perspective are the data distribution systems via Content Delivery Networks (CDNs). We introduce a new model to compute the total energy consumption of CDNs which is based on a hierarchical Internet map and that takes into account the energy consumption needed to keep servers synchronized. The CDN is represented as a main server storing the whole data set and several surrogate servers, each caching a subset of the entire data set. Servers are located in a hierarchical three-tier network topology. We analyze the energy consumption trends as a function of the number of surrogate server. Results show that increasing the number of surrogate servers decreases the transmission delay but it does not always lead to decreasing energy consumption. Furthermore, the energy consumption profile as a function of the number of servers strongly depends on the ratio between the number of content requests and modifications. Finally, we show that the adoption of a hierarchical network model permits to highlight slightly different energy consumption trends with respect to those of standard “flat” network representation

Numerical Solution of HCIR Equation with Transaction Costs using Alternating Direction Implicit Method

For valuing European options, a straightforward model is the well-known Black-Scholes formula. Contrary to market reality, this model assumed that interest rate and volatility are constant. To modify the Black-Scholes model, Heston and Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (CIR) offered the stochastic volatility and the stochastic interest rate models, respectively. The combination of the Heston, and the CIR models is called the Heston-Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (HCIR) model. Another essential issue that arises when purchasing or selling a good or service is the consideration of transaction costs which was ignored in the Black-Scholes technique. Leland improved the simplistic Black-Scholes strategy to take transaction costs into account. The main purpose of this paper is to apply the alternating direction implicit (ADI) method at a uniform grid for solving the HCIR model with transaction costs in the European style and comparing it with the explicit finite difference (EFD) scheme. Also, as evidence for numerical convergence, we convert the HCIR model with transaction costs to a linear PDE (HCIR) by ignoring transaction costs, then we estimate the solution of HCIR PDE using the ADI method which is a class of finite difference schemes, and compare it with analytical solution and EFD scheme. For multi-dimensional Black-Scholes equations, the ADI method, which is a category of finite difference techniques, is appropriate. When the dimensionality of the space increases, finite difference techniques frequently become more complex to perform, comprehend, and apply. Consequently, we employ the ADI approach to divide a multi-dimensional problem into several simpler, quite manageable sub-problems to overcome the dimensionality curse.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure

A survey on the consumption, knowledge and attitude of pregnant women toward the efects of folic acid on pregnancy outcome in Tabriz

ObjectiveWhile the effects of folic acid are well established in prevention of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs), these diseases have a high prevalence in Iran. In order to encourage folic acid supplement use in pregnancy, it is important to promote the awareness of women of childbearing age regarding folic acid importance in preventing NTDs. The aim of the present study was to study the knowledge and attitude of pregnant women on the effect of folic acid on pregnancy outcome and its use during pregnancy.Materials and MethodsA questionnaire was completed by 400 women from postnatal and prenatal wards/clinics using random sampling. The questionnaire included questions regarding demographic information, folic acid consumption in pregnancy and the attitude and knowledge of the participants on folic acid  supplementation and the source of information on folic acid supplementation.The questions were aimed at subjects' knowledge of folic acid effects on fetal growth and development and prevention of NTDs and not prevention of anemia. Data was analyzed by SPSS software (ver. 13.5).ResultsAbout 89.9% used folic acid supplements at some point of the pregnancy and 53.7% knew it was beneficial for the fetus. Approximately, 25% and 34.8% of those who used folic acid believed that it was most useful when taken preconception and during the first trimester, respectively. Only 15.4% knew itcould prevent NTDs. The most common information sources for folic acid use were physicians.ConclusionAwareness and use of folic acid were most prevalent among Iranian women, especially among educated ones. The results showed areas in which further work could be helpful to improve awareness regarding the benefits of folic acid.Key words: Folic acid;pregnancy; knowledge; neural tube defects (NTD

Finding Optimum Parameters of Passive Tuned Mass Damper by PSO, WOA, and Hybrid PSO-WOA (HPW) Algorithms

Using a tuned mass damper (TMD) is one of the passive methods of controlling structural vibrations. This energy absorption system has a mass, a spring, and a damper attaching to the main structure and vibrating with it, reducing the dynamic response of the structure by preventing the intensification. Therefore, finding optimal parameters is one of the main essential issues in the study and design of tuned mass dampers. This study investigates the optimization of parameters of an adjusted mass damper to reduce the displacement and relative response of a multi-story structural system equipped with this damper. For this purpose, a 10-story frame with similar properties on each floor and a 10-story frame with different properties on each floor were modeled under seismic loading in OpenSees software. The optimum parameters were extracted by Matlab software, using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, whale optimization algorithm (WOA), and the combination of these two algorithms (Hybrid PSO-WOA) and state space equations controlled the results. Comparing the results with the methods presented by other researchers showed that the proposed methods have good performance and are recommended as approximate and rapid methods for the optimal design of these dampers

Scalability of ONOS reactive forwarding applications in ISP networks

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is a powerful approach that enhances network control and management, and provides a flexible way to develop network applications. However, scalability of SDN networks is an important concern for many network operators. The main peculiarities of SDN when applied to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network are the large geographical extension and the need of in-band transmission of control traffic. Therefore, the control traffic exchanged between the SDN controller and the network nodes must be carefully evaluated for the network design and dimensioning. We consider an ISP network controlled by the recently ONOS (Open Network Operating System) controller developed by ON.Lab. We devise a quantitative model to compute the exact number of exchanged OpenFlow messages and the corresponding bandwidth needed to install a traffic flow when running the default ONOS layer-2 forwarding applications. We compute also the exact number of flow rules installed in each switch. We show the general applicability of our models for a Point Of Presence (POP) network and for a large set of real nation-wide and world-wide ISP networks. Our quantitative models can be used for a safe network planning also when the network applications are not fully reactive

Correlation between Prostate Needle Biopsy and Radical Prostatectomy Gleason Gradings of 111 Cases with Prostatic Adenocarcinoma

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 98.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span class="MsoPageNumber"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;">Purpose:</span></strong></span><span class="MsoPageNumber"><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;"> There are conflicting reports in the literature about correlation of biopsy and prostatectomy Gleason scores in prostate carcinoma. The goal of this study was to determine the correlation of grading in these two types of pathologic materials.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 98.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span class="MsoPageNumber"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;">Materials and methods:</span></strong></span><span class="MsoPageNumber"><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;"> The coupled Hematoxylin and Eosin slides of 111 patients with prostate carcinoma were collected. Gleason scores were determined. Patients who had undergone any therapy except surgery were excluded from the study. Correlation between grades was calculated by determination of correlation coefficient. Accuracy of biopsy grading in prediction of final grade was also determined by measuring the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 98.25pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span class="MsoPageNumber"><strong><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;">Results:</span></strong></span><span class="MsoPageNumber"><span style="mso-bidi-language: FA;"> In 50 cases (45%), grade was underestimated in the biopsy. After dividing the cases into Gleason scores of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 to 4, 5 to 6, 7,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8 to 10, the most of undergraded cases (84.2%)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were in the first group (Gleason score 2 to 4) and this rate reached 5% in the fourth group (Gleason score 8 to 10). The correlation coefficient measured was 0.535 in grade to grade comparing and 0.514 in group to group comparison of the specimens. In low-grade tumors, grading in biopsy, in spite of high sensitivity (90.9%), had low positive predictive value (26.3%).</span></span></span></span></p><span class="MsoPageNumber"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: FA;">Conclusion:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: FA;"> There is a moderate direct linear relationship between scores in biopsy and prostatectomy specimens. But there is a high probability of underestimation of real Gleason score of the radical prostatectomy specimen in low-grade tumors. Pathologists and urologists must consider the phenomenon of undergrading in reporting prostate specimens and managing patients.</span></span></span&gt

Subcloning and expression of human alpha-fetoprotein gene in Pichia pastoris

Alpha-fetoprotein protein (AFP) is naturally found in fetal serum while production and appearance after birth is indicative of presence of malignant tumors. Therefore, by measuring this protein during fetal period and after birth, it is possible to diagnose abnormalities and tumors in fetus or the newborn. The objective of this study was to produce and purify AFP protein using DNA recombinant technology to apply in diagnostic kit preparations. In this study Pichia pastoris as metylotrophic yeast was used for AFP production. After construction of recombinant plasmid, pS1-AFP, electroporation and lithium chloride techniques were used for transferring to susceptible cells. The quantity and quality of the produced protein were checked by SDS-PAGE and ELISA methods. Selection of transformed mutant strains of Muts and culturing them in glycerol media (YPG) up to OD600=6 and their transfer to methanol media (YPM) with augmentation of methanol to 1% final concentration resulted in inducing protein production in auxotrophic media lacking histidine. This protein could be useful in monoclonal antibody production and in diagnostic kit preparations.Keywords: Alpha-fetoprotein, Pichia pastoris, cloning, expressio

A Comprehensive Analysis of Plasmonics-Based GaAs MSM-Photodetector for High Bandwidth-Product Responsivity

A detailed numerical study of subwavelength nanogratings behavior to enhance the light absorption characteristics in plasmonicbased metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors (MSM-PDs) is performed by implementation of 2D finite-difference timedomain (FDTD) algorithm. Due to the structure design and changes in the device physical parameters, various devices with different geometries are simulated and compared. Parameters like nano-grating height and duty cycle (DC) are optimized for rectangular and taper subwavelength metal nanogratings on GaAs substrate and their impact on light absorption below the diffraction limits are confirmed. The calculated light enhancement is ∼32.7-times for an optimized device in comparison with a conventional MSM-PD. This enhancement is attributed to the plasmonic effects in the near-field region

A Young Case with Endolymphatic Sac Tumors Presented with Right-sided Hearing Loss and Facial Hemi-paralysis

Background: Endolymphatic sac tumors (ELSTs) are uncommon low-grade, locally invasive epithelial tumor that originates from the endolymphatic sac of the inner ear and temporal bone. It is a rare event with less than 300 cases worldwide. In this article, we present a case of ELTS who presented with facial asymmetry and hearing loss. In this article, we present a case of ELTS who presented with facial asymmetry and hearing loss.                    Case presentation: A 15-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with right-sided facial hemiplegia and hearing loss in her right ear which was started and progressed within two years. Except for facial hemiparalysis, other physical examinations were normal. In her audiological investigations, severe hearing loss of her right ear was evident. Imaging studies were indicative of ELSTs. This diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological investigations. Discussion: ELST is an aggressive papillary tumor that arises from the endolymphatic sac. In most cases, this tumor presents as a solitary growth. It usually presents with hearing loss but can be associated with other symptoms like tinnitus, vertigo and nerve VII paralysis. Imaging studies play a crucial role in the diagnosis of ELST, as it can reveal a characteristic soft-tissue mass involving the temporal bone, with bony erosion and extension into adjacent structures. Surgery is considered as the main form of treatment for ELSTs. Conclusion: ELSTs are exceedingly rare events. Here we presented a case of ESLT with right facial hemiplegia and right ear deafness