myTrustedCloud: Trusted cloud infrastructure for security-critical computation and data managment

Copyright @ 2012 IEEECloud Computing provides an optimal infrastructure to utilise and share both computational and data resources whilst allowing a pay-per-use model, useful to cost-effectively manage hardware investment or to maximise its utilisation. Cloud Computing also offers transitory access to scalable amounts of computational resources, something that is particularly important due to the time and financial constraints of many user communities. The growing number of communities that are adopting large public cloud resources such as Amazon Web Services [1] or Microsoft Azure [2] proves the success and hence usefulness of the Cloud Computing paradigm. Nonetheless, the typical use cases for public clouds involve non-business critical applications, particularly where issues around security of utilization of applications or deposited data within shared public services are binding requisites. In this paper, a use case is presented illustrating how the integration of Trusted Computing technologies into an available cloud infrastructure - Eucalyptus - allows the security-critical energy industry to exploit the flexibility and potential economical benefits of the Cloud Computing paradigm for their business-critical applications

A Preliminary Study of the Economic Implications From Court Service Delivery Consolidation in Rural Iowa: Phase I Report

This report .is designed-to foster discussion among citizens, leaders and policymakers regarding an important public Issue of concern to lowans. Iowa State University seeks to providie accurate research-based information on relevant issues and neither endorses nor opposes proposals regarding the issues analyzed. The research contained-herein was. conducted with partial, support from^ the Iowa Agriculture and:Home Economics Experiment Station :(TAHEES), the Iowa Cooperative \u27Extension Service ,(CES). and funding frbm local officials in 40 Iowa counties.collected by. Rural. Counties Against Regionalization (RCAR). RCAR funding was solely-used for funding research assistance with the understanding that the goal of the project was to develop objective, information sources for making \u27 \u27 reasonable judgements regarding consolidation issues. The project director expressedly avoided\u27 receiving financial gain from the project so as to prevent conflicts of interest, bias in research, and/or\u27any appearance thereof^

A selective role for receptor activity‐modifying protein in sub‐chronic action of the amylin selective receptor agonist NN1213 compared to salmon calcitonin on body weight and food intake in male mice

The role of receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs) in modulating the pharmacological effects of an amylin receptor selective agonist (NN1213) or the dual amylin-calcitonin receptor agonist (DACRA), salmon calcitonin (sCT), was tested in three RAMP KO mouse models, RAMP1, RAMP3 and RAMP1/3 KO. Male wild-type (WT) and knockout (KO) littermate mice were fed a 45% high-fat diet for 20 weeks prior to the 3-week treatment period. A decrease in body weight after NN1213 was observed in all WT mice, whereas sCT had no effect. The absence of RAMP1 had no significant effect on NN1213 efficacy, and sCT was still inactive. However, the absence of RAMP3 impeded NN1213 efficacy but improved sCT efficacy. Similar results were observed in RAMP1/3 KO suggesting that the amylin receptor 3 (AMY3 = CTR + RAMP3) is necessary for NN1213's maximal action on body weight and food intake and that the lack of AMY3 allowed sCT to be active. These results suggest that the chronic use of DACRA such as sCT can have unfavourable effect on body weight loss in mice (which differs from the situation in rats), whereas the use of the amylin receptor selective agonist does not. AMY3 seems to play a crucial role in modulating the action of these two compounds, but in opposite directions. The assessment of a long-term effect of amylin and DACRA in different rodent models is necessary to understand potential physiological beneficial and unfavourable effects on weight loss before its transition to clinical trials

Operando XAS/XRD and Raman Spectroscopic Study of Structural Changes of the Iron Molybdate Catalyst during Selective Oxidation of Methanol

The structural changes of an iron molybdate/molybdenum oxide (Mo/Fe=2.0) catalyst for the selective oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde were studied using combined operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) as well as operando Raman spectroscopy. Under operating conditions, the Mo K‐edge XANES spectra showed a transition from a mixture of α‐MoO$_{3}$ and Fe$_{2}$(MoO$_{4}$)$_{3}$ towards only Fe$_{2}$(MoO$_{4}$)$_{3}$. XRD and Raman spectroscopy also showed disappearance of the α‐MoO3 phase with time on stream. The results evidenced that the α‐MoO3 component evaporated completely, while the Fe$_{2}$(MoO$_{4}$)$_{3}$ component remained stable. This was linked to a decrease in catalytic activity. Further studies unraveled that the rate of α‐MoO$_{3}$ evaporation increased with increasing MeOH concentration, decreasing O$_{2}$ concentration and increasing temperature. The simultaneous measurements of catalytic activity and spectroscopy allowed to derive a structure‐activity relationship showing that α‐MoO$_{3}$ evaporation needs to be prevented to optimize MoO$_{3}$‐based catalysts for selective oxidation of methanol

Using Complex, Multi-Sectoral Data in a Needs Assessment to Inform Future Strategies in Childhood Asthma Management

The purpose of this needs assessment was to study the current state of asthma management in high-risk children in Houston, Texas to inform a theory-based approach to improving asthma management. The mixed-method assessment included multi-sectoral survey, quantitative, and geospatial data that address a range of social and community factors in family, community, home, and medical contexts. Houston Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provided ambulance-treated asthma data mapped by geographic area to identify where childhood asthma management was weakest. Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) provided medication compliance rates and counts of children by zip code that TCHP considered high-risk according to claims data. Houston Independent School District (HISD) provided school nurse survey results from schools with high-rates of ambulance-treated asthma attacks regarding local barriers to asthma management. Elementary schools with children at highest risk were identified by overlaying the EMS data, TCHP data, and HISD school zone boundaries. Survey results from the high-rate schools indicate the priority challenges to childhood asthma management, including lack of resources, lack of communication, lack of knowledge of triggers, and inadequate time for quality care from providers. By weaving together EMS, TCHP, and HISD data, the needs assessment informed a socio-ecological view of gaps in high-risk childhood asthma management and control, specifically where and what to target. An assessment approach with multi-sectoral data, geospatial mapping, nurse input, current systems of care, education, and funding helped focus planning on a practical approach to asthma control solutions for high-risk children

Quantitative proteomic characterization of cellular pathways associated with altered insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle following high-fat diet feeding and exercise training

Regular exercise elicits advantageous metabolic adaptations in skeletal muscle, such as improved insulin sensitivity. However, the underpinning molecular mechanisms and the effect of diet on muscle exercise training benefits are unclear. We therefore characterized the skeletal muscle proteome following exercise training (ET) in mice fed chow or high-fat diet (HFD). ET increased exercise performance, lowered body-weight, decreased fat mass and improved muscle insulin action in chow-and HFD-fed mice. At the molecular level, ET regulated 170 muscle proteins in chow-fed mice, but only 29 proteins in HFD-fed mice. HFD per se altered 56 proteins, most of which were regulated in a similar direction by ET. To identify proteins that might have particular health-related bearing on skeletal muscle metabolism, we filtered for differentially regulated proteins in response to ET and HFD. This yielded 15 proteins, including the major urinary protein 1 (MUP1), which was the protein most decreased after HFD, but increased with ET. The ET-induced Mup1 expression was absent in mouse muscle lacking functional AMPK. MUP1 also potentiated insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation in cultured muscle cells. Collectively, we provide a resource of ET-regulated proteins in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant skeletal muscle. The identification of MUP1 as a diet-, ET-and AMPK-regulated skeletal muscle protein that improves insulin sensitivity in muscle cells demonstrates the usefulness of these data

The challenges of renewed independence: The Baltic states since 1991

This article offers a comparative assessment of how successfully Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have coped with the challenges of renewed independence since 1991, focusing on various aspects of political, economic, and social development. In the post-communist context the Baltic states have clearly outpaced other former Soviet republics and also performed reasonably well in comparison to the countries of Eastern Europe. The convergence of the Baltic experience, which began already in the early 20th century, has continued in the recent past as well, as the three states have adopted a number of similar approaches in domestic politics, the search for security, and economic policy. They also face a number of similar unsolved problems, including considerable political alienation, tensions in relations with Russia, socioeconomic disparity, and demographic challenges. The most important difference in the issues confronting the Baltic states today continues to be the large non-Baltic, mainly Russian presence in Estonia and Latvia, a result of Soviet-era policies. How to effect the meaningful integration of a multiethnic society remains a continuing challenge in these two countries. In contrast, population shifts under Soviet rule never became massive in Lithuania, and ethnic relations are a minor issue there today