Solutions for IPv6-based mobility in the EU project MobyDick

Proceedings of the WTC 2002, 18th World Telecommunications Congress, Paris, France, 22 -27 September, 2002.Mobile Internet technology is moving towards a packet-based or, more precisely, IPv6-based network. Current solutions on Mobile IPv6 and other related QoS and AAA matters do not offer the security and quality users have come to take for granted. The EU IST project Moby Dick has taken on the challenge of providing a solution that integrates QoS, mobility and AAA in a heterogeneous access environment. This paper focuses on the mobility part of the project, describes and justifies the handover approach taken, shows how QoS-aware and secure handover is achieved, and introduces the project's paging concept. It shows that a transition to a fully integrated IP-RAN and IP-Backbone has become a distinct option for the future.Publicad

Identification of loci involved in childhood visual acuity and associations with cognitive skills and educational attainment

Funding: The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 217065/Z/19/Z) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. JS is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation, 418445085) and supported by the Wellcome Trust [Institutional Strategic Support fund, Grant number 204821/Z/16/Z]. SP is funded by the Royal Society (UF150663). Support to the genetic analysis was provided by the St Andrews Bioinformatics Unit funded by the Wellcome Trust [grant 105621/Z/14/Z].Visual acuity significantly contributes to quality of life. Deficits in childhood are associated with reading difficulties, which can have detrimental effects on education outcomes. In adults, it has been observed that vision defects such as myopia are associated with higher educational attainment (EA). Understanding genetic factors contributing to visual acuity could help to dissect its links with cognitive skills, neurodevelopmental conditions, and education. We examined associations between distance visual acuity, cognitive measures including school grades, and neurodevelopmental conditions in a longitudinal cohort of British children (ALSPAC, n = 6807, M age = 11.8). We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS, n = 5571) on visual acuity and tested for genetic associations with relevant phenotypes using polygenic scores (PGS) and genetic correlation analyses. Visual acuity was associated with better cognitive performance and school grades, and reduced in individuals with reading difficulties compared to controls. GWAS revealed genetic associations at the NPLOC4 locus and highlighted other genes involved in sensory function. In line with positive genetic correlations between visual acuity and cognitive measures, EA PGS were positively associated with visual acuity, while there was a less robust negative association with myopia PGS. In conclusion, increased visual acuity is associated with a range of positive outcomes, including better school grades. Our results suggest an association between a higher EA PGS and slightly increased visual acuity in childhood. This could indicate gene-environment correlation, in which environmental exposures linked to higher EA might have detrimental effects on vision offsetting the initial positive effect.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Educational attainment and self-rated health among African-Americans in Pitt County, NC

Background: To help fill the knowledge gap regarding relationships between educational attainment and self-rated health (SRH) in minority populations, we analyzed the data of a community-based cohort of African-Americans residing in Pitt County, NC, between 1988 and 2001. Methods: Data from the Pitt County Study (a community-based, longitudinal survey of risk factors for hypertension and related disorders disproportionately affecting African-Americans) were used to explore associations between educational attainment and SRH, stratified by sex, in a cohort of individuals from 1988 (n=1,773), 1993 (n=1,195), and 2001 (n=1,117) using continuous, ordinal, and binary correlated data analyses. Results: For males and females with less than a high school education, the odds of reporting poor or fair health (compared to excellent, very good, or good health) were 2.75 (95% CI: 1.54-4.91) and 1.78 (95% CI: 1.15-2.75) times greater, respectively, than among those who completed a college degree or higher. Conclusions: Across all analyses, individuals with lower educational attainment reported lower SRH scores, and the association differed by sex. Social support may be a factor in these differences. More research is needed, however, to assess relationships between educational attainment, social support, and SRH for African-Americans and other minority populations

A qualitative study of single-trauma and dual-trauma military couples

Trauma survivors and their partners may experience unique dynamics due to the ongoing effects of previous trauma exposure and current trauma symptoms. The current qualitative study attempted to compare and contrast single-trauma couples (one partner reports a trauma history or high traumatic load) with dual-trauma couples (both partners report a trauma history or high traumatic load) to further understand the systemic effects on couple functioning in a sample of military couples. Overall, both positive and negative effects from previous trauma on the couple relationship were reported by participants, including increased awareness, communication, support, coping strategies, and trauma-related triggers, with dual-trauma couples reporting more trauma-related triggers and communication problems. Clinical and research implications for further study are described

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Generic Safety, Handling and Qualification Guidelines for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries; Availability of Source Materials for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries; Maintaining Technical Communications Related to Aerospace Batteries (NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop)

This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This document contains Part 1 - Volume I: Generic Safety, Handling and Qualification Guidelines for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries, Availability of Source Materials for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries, and Maintaining Technical Communications Related to Aerospace Batteries (NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop)

An Additively Manufactured Sample Holder to Measure the Controlled Release of Vancomycin from Collagen Laminates

The controlled release of antibiotics prevents the spread of pathogens and thereby improves healing processes in regenerative medicine. However, high concentrations may interfere with healing processes. It is therefore advantageous to use biodegradable materials for a controlled release. In particular, multilayer materials enable differential release at different surfaces. For this purpose, collagen sheets of different properties can be bonded by photochemical crosslinking. Here, we present the development and application of an easily accessible, additively manufactured sample holder to study the controlled release of vancomycin from modularly assembled collagen laminates in two directions. As proof-of-concept, we show that laminates of collagen sheets covalently linked by rose bengal and green light crosslinking (RGX) can be tightly inserted into the device without leakage from the upper to lower cavity. We used this sample holder to detect the release of vancomycin from symmetrically and asymmetrically loaded two-layer and three-layer collagen laminates into the upper and lower cavity of the sample holder. We show that these collagen laminates are characterized by a collagen type-dependent vancomycin release, enabling the control of antibiotic release profiles as well as the direction of antibiotic release

Aerobic Microbial Respiration In Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zones

Oxygen minimum zones are major sites of fixed nitrogen loss in the ocean. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of anaerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox, in pelagic nitrogen removal. Sources of ammonium for the anammox reaction, however, remain controversial, as heterotrophic denitrification and alternative anaerobic pathways of organic matter remineralization cannot account for the ammonium requirements of reported anammox rates. Here, we explore the significance of microaerobic respiration as a source of ammonium during organic matter degradation in the oxygen-deficient waters off Namibia and Peru. Experiments with additions of double-labelled oxygen revealed high aerobic activity in the upper OMZs, likely controlled by surface organic matter export. Consistently observed oxygen consumption in samples retrieved throughout the lower OMZs hints at efficient exploitation of vertically and laterally advected, oxygenated waters in this zone by aerobic microorganisms. In accordance, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses identified genes encoding for aerobic terminal oxidases and demonstrated their expression by diverse microbial communities, even in virtually anoxic waters. Our results suggest that microaerobic respiration is a major mode of organic matter remineralization and source of ammonium (~45-100%) in the upper oxygen minimum zones, and reconcile hitherto observed mismatches between ammonium producing and consuming processes therein

Perceived usability of a store and forward telehealth platform for diagnosis and management of oral mucosal lesions : a cross-sectional study

EstomatoNet was created in the south of Brazil to provides specialist support over a webbased platform to primary care dentists for diagnosis of oral lesions. To evaluate the usability of EstomatoNet and to identify user perceptions regarding their expectations and difficulties with the system; and to compare the perceptions of regular users of the service to those of first-time users. Sixteen dentists were selected for the study: 8 were frequent users of EstomatoNet and 8 were residents who had never used the Platform. To assess usability, participants were required to request telediagnosis support for a fictional case provided by the research team. During the process of uploading the information and sending the request, users were asked to “think out loud,” expressing their perceptions. The session was observed by an examiner with remote access to the user’s screen (via Skype). After the simulation, users completed the System Usability Scale (SyUS), a validated tool with scores ranging from 0 to 100. The mean SyUS score assigned by frequent users was 84.7±6.6, vs. 82.2±9.3 for residents (satisfactory usability: score above 68). The difference between the groups was not statistically significant (Student t test, P = .55). The residents group took longer (347.1±101.1s) to complete the task than frequent users (252.8±80.3s); however, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (Student t test, P = .06). In their subjective evaluation, users suggested the inclusion of a field to add further information on outcomes and resolution of the case and changes in the position of the “Send” button to improve workflow. The present results indicate satisfactory usability of EstomatoNet. The Platform seems to meet the needs of users regardless of how experienced they are; nevertheless, a few minor changes in some steps would improve the tool

Giant Hydrogen Sulfide Plume in the Oxygen Minimum Zone off Peru Supports Chemolithoautotrophy

In Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems nutrient-rich waters are transported to the ocean surface, fuelling high photoautotrophic primary production. Subsequent heterotrophic decomposition of the produced biomass increases the oxygen-depletion at intermediate water depths, which can result in the formation of oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). OMZs can sporadically accumulate hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is toxic to most multicellular organisms and has been implicated in massive fish kills. During a cruise to the OMZ off Peru in January 2009 we found a sulfidic plume in continental shelf waters, covering an area >5500 km2, which contained ~2.2×104 tons of H2S. This was the first time that H2S was measured in the Peruvian OMZ and with ~440 km3 the largest plume ever reported for oceanic waters. We assessed the phylogenetic and functional diversity of the inhabiting microbial community by high-throughput sequencing of DNA and RNA, while its metabolic activity was determined with rate measurements of carbon fixation and nitrogen transformation processes. The waters were dominated by several distinct γ-, δ- and ε-proteobacterial taxa associated with either sulfur oxidation or sulfate reduction. Our results suggest that these chemolithoautotrophic bacteria utilized several oxidants (oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide) to detoxify the sulfidic waters well below the oxic surface. The chemolithoautotrophic activity at our sampling site led to high rates of dark carbon fixation. Assuming that these chemolithoautotrophic rates were maintained throughout the sulfidic waters, they could be representing as much as ~30% of the photoautotrophic carbon fixation. Postulated changes such as eutrophication and global warming, which lead to an expansion and intensification of OMZs, might also increase the frequency of sulfidic waters. We suggest that the chemolithoautotrophically fixed carbon may be involved in a negative feedback loop that could fuel further sulfate reduction and potentially stabilize the sulfidic OMZ water