Video migration strategy based on bandwidth demand prediction and cloud resource reservation

A video migration strategy which is used in P2P-VoD architecture is presented. First it predicts the bandwidth demands of users in each video channel according to the P2P characteristic. And it gives a basis for migrating videos. Then an algorithm of applying cloud resources which is based on the minimum bandwidth reservation is proposed. It sat-isfies the real-time of VoD service with the costs as low as possible. Finally the video migration strategies are designed to determine the methods of migration videos. The simulation results indicate that the proposed strategy can get good trade-off between costs and user satisfaction

Clinical features of severe malaria associated with death: a 13-year observational study in the Gambia

BACKGROUND: Severe malaria (SM) is a major cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. Identification of both specific and sensitive clinical features to predict death is needed to improve clinical management. METHODS: A 13-year observational study was conducted from 1997 through 2009 of 2,901 children with SM enrolled at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in The Gambia to identify sensitive and specific predictors of poor outcome in Gambian children with severe malaria between the ages 4 months to 14 years. We have measured the sensitivity and specificity of clinical features that predict death or development of neurological sequelae. FINDINGS: Impaired consciousness (odds ratio {OR} 4.4 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.7-7.3]), respiratory distress (OR 2.4 [95%CI, 1.7-3.2]), hypoglycemia (OR 1.7 [95%CI, 1.2-2.3]), jaundice (OR 1.9 [95%CI, 1.2-2.9]) and renal failure (OR 11.1 [95%CI, 3.3-36.5]) were independently associated with death in children with SM. The clinical features that showed the highest sensitivity and specificity to predict death were respiratory distress (area under the curve 0.63 [95%CI, 0.60-0.65]) and impaired consciousness (AUC 0.61[95%CI, 0.59-0.63]), which were comparable to the ability of hyperlactatemia (blood lactate>5 mM) to predict death (AUC 0.64 [95%CI, 0.55-0.72]). A Blantyre coma score (BCS) of 2 or less had a sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 67% to predict death (AUC 0.70 [95% C.I. 0.68-0.72]), and sensitivity and specificity of 74% and 69%, respectively to predict development of neurological sequelae (AUC 0.72 [95% CI, 0.67-0.76]).The specificity of this BCS threshold to identify children at risk of dying improved in children less than 3 years of age (AUC 0.74, [95% C.I 0.71-0.76]). CONCLUSION: The BCS is a quantitative predictor of death. A BCS of 2 or less is the most sensitive and specific clinical feature to predict death or development of neurological sequelae in children with SM

ДИВЕРСИФИКАЦИЯ ПРОИЗВОДСТВА ПРОМЫШЛЕННЫХ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ КАЗАХСТАН

The article examines the diversification of production, aswell as the priorities to achieve early stabilization of theeconomy using the anti-crisis measures, and that, basically, is to strengthen the financial condition and effective balance of the country, to the anti-inflationary measures. In thesecircumstances, it was important for the state to maximize thepotential of the commodity sector of the economy, and this policy has achieved macroeconomic stabilization, which created the basis for deepening economic reforms.В статье рассматриваются вопросы диверсификации производства, атакжеприоритетыдостиженияскорейшей стабилизацииэкономикисиспользованиемантикризисных мер, икоторые, в основном, сводилиськукреплениюфинансовогосостоянияиплатежеспособногобалансастраны, кантиинфляционныммерам. Вэтихусловияхважным длягосударствабыломаксимальноиспользоватьпотенциалсырьевогосектораэкономики, иэтаполитикапозволила достичь макроэкономической стабилизации, что создало основу для углубления экономических реформ

ПРОБЛЕМЫ РЕФОРМИРОВАНИЯ СИСТЕМЫ ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ В РЫНОЧНЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ

The article examines the effectiveness of vocational education, which can be viewed in two ways: as a subsystem , operated bythe needs for skilled workers - the micro-level, and as a subsystemthrough which achieved saturation of the labor market competitivestaff, contributing to higher rates of growth of national income - the macro level. The latter is a new direction, displacing the center of gravity to study the problems of a single educational institution onthe analysis of the economy of the whole country, in which the activities of the educational system, on the one hand, and employment oftrained workers, on the other.В статье рассматривается эффективность профессионального образования, которую можно рассматривать в двух аспектах: как подсистему, функционированиекоторойобеспечиваетудовлетворение потребностейвквалифицированныхрабочихкадрах- микроуровень, и как подсистему, посредством которой достигается насыщение рынка труда конкурентоспособным персоналом, способствующим повышению темпов роста национального дохода - макроуровень. Последнийявляетсяпринципиальноновымнаправлением, перемещающимцентртяжестисизученияпроблем, отдельновзятогоучебногоучреждениянаанализэкономикивсейстраны, врамкахкоторой осуществляется деятельность образовательной системы, с одной стороны, и трудовая деятельность обученных работников, с друго

ВНЕШНЕТОРГОВАЯ ПОЛИТИКА РЕСПУБЛИКИ КАЗАХСТАН: ПРОБЛЕМЫ, ПРИОРИТЕТЫ И МЕХАНИЗМ РЕАЛИЗАЦИИ

The article examines the foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which occupy a special place in government programs, liberalization of foreign trade, development and consolidation of foreign economic relations , to rationalize the structure of exports and imports, in order to enhance the competitiveness of domestic goods and services. Importance of having rationalization of the structure of exports and imports . Structure of imports focused on meeting consumer needs. The main feature is the same export monoorientirovannost it, which is unusual for world exports. Monoorientirovannost means that the country’s export base are a few types of exported goods, mainly fuel and raw materials. In turn, this causes a narrow list of exports, raw specialization economy and implies a high dependence on the world market prices of fuel and raw materials.В статье рассматриваются вопросы внешнеторговой политики Республики Казахстан, которые занимают особое место в правительственных программах, либерализации внешнеэкономической деятельности, налаживанию и укреплению внешнеэкономических связей, рационализации структуры экспорта и импорта, в целях повышения конкурентоспособности отечественных товаров и услуг. Особо важное значение приобретает рационализация структуры экспорта и импорта. Структура импорта республики ориентирована на удовлетворение потребительских нужд. Главной особенностью же экспорта является его моноориентированность, что нехарактерно для мирового экспорта. Моноориентированность означает то, что основу экспорта республики составляют несколько видов экспортируемых товаров, в основном, топливно-сырьевые ресурсы. В свою очередь, это вызывает узость номенклатур экспортируемых товаров, сырьевую специализацию экономики, а также влечет высокую зависимость от конъюнктуры цен на мировых рынках топлива и сырья

Suppression of circulating IgD+CD27+ memory B cells in infants living in a malaria-endemic region of Kenya

Background: Plasmodium falciparum infection leads to alterations in B cell subset distribution. During infancy, development of peripheral B cell subsets is also occurring. However, it is unknown if infants living a malaria endemic region have alterations in B cell subsets that is independent of an age effect. Methods: To evaluate the impact of exposure to P. falciparum on B cell development in infants, flow cytometry was used to analyse the distribution and phenotypic characteristic of B cell subsets in infant cohorts prospectively followed at 12, 18 and 24 months from two geographically proximate regions in western Kenya with divergent malaria exposure i.e. Kisumu (malaria-endemic, n = 24) and Nandi (unstable malaria transmission, n = 21). Results: There was significantly higher frequency and absolute cell numbers of CD19+ B cells in Kisumu relative to Nandi at 12(p = 0.0440), 18(p = 0.0210) and 24 months (p = 0.0493). No differences were observed between the infants from the two sites in frequencies of naïve B cells (IgD+CD27-) or classical memory B cells (IgD-CD27+). However, immature transitional B cells (CD19+CD10+CD34-) were higher in Kisumu relative to Nandi at all three ages. In contrast, the levels of non-class switched memory B cells (CD19+IgD+CD27+) were significantly lower overall in Kisumu relative to Nandi at significantly at 12 (p = 0.0144), 18 (p = 0.0013) and 24 months (p = 0.0129). Conclusions: These data suggest that infants living in malaria endemic regions have altered B cell subset distribution. Further studies are needed to understand the functional significance of these changes and long-term impact on ability of these infants to develop antibody responses to P. falciparum and heterologous infections

A Phase II, Randomized Study on an Investigational DTPw-HBV/Hib-MenAC Conjugate Vaccine Administered to Infants in Northern Ghana

BACKGROUND: Combining meningococcal vaccination with routine immunization in infancy may reduce the burden of meningococcal meningitis, especially in the meningitis belt of Africa. We have evaluated the immunogenicity, persistence of immune response, immune memory and safety of an investigational DTPw-HBV/Hib-MenAC conjugate vaccine given to infants in Northern Ghana. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this phase II, double blind, randomized, controlled study, 280 infants were primed with DTPw-HBV/Hib-MenAC or DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccines at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age. At 12 months of age, children in each group received a challenge dose of serogroup A+C polysaccharides. Antibody responses were assessed pre, and one month-post dose 3 of the priming schedule and pre and 1 month after administration of the challenge dose. One month post-dose 3, 87.8% and 88.2% of subjects in the study group had bactericidal meningococcal serogroup A (SBA-MenA) and meningococcal serogroup C (SBA-MenC) antibody titres > or = 1:8 respectively. Seroprotection/seropositivity rates to the 5 antigens administered in the routine EPI schedule were non-inferior in children in the study group compared to those in the control group. The percentages of subjects in the study group with persisting SBA-MenA titres > or = 1:8 or SBA-MenC titres > or = 1:8 at the age of 12 months prior to challenge were significantly higher than in control group (47.7% vs 25.7% and 56.4% vs 5.1% respectively). The administration of 10 microg of serogroup A polysaccharide increased the SBA-MenA GMT by 14.0-fold in the DTPW-HBV/HibMenAC-group compared to a 3.8 fold increase in the control-group. Corresponding fold-increases in SBA-MenC titres following challenge with 10 microg of group C polysaccharide were 18.8 and 1.9 respectively. Reactogenicity following primary vaccination or the administration of the challenge dose was similar in both groups, except for swelling (Grade 3) after primary vaccination which was more frequent in children in the vaccine than in the control group (23.7%; 95%CI [19.6-28.1] of doses vs 14.1%; 95% CI [10.9-17.8] of doses). Fifty-nine SAEs (including 8 deaths), none of them related to vaccination, were reported during the entire study. CONCLUSIONS: Three dose primary vaccination with DTPw-HBV/Hib-MenAC was non-inferior to DTPw-HBV/Hib for the 5 common antigens used in the routine EPI schedule and induced bactericidal antibodies against Neisseria meningitidis of serogroups A and C in the majority of infants. Serogroup A and C bactericidal antibody levels had fallen below titres associated with protection in nearly half of the infants by the age of 12 months confirming that a booster dose is required at about that age. An enhanced memory response was shown after polysaccharide challenge. This vaccine could provide protection against 7 important childhood diseases (including meningococcal A and C) and be of particular value in countries of the African meningitis belt. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN35754083

The dynamics of nasopharyngeal streptococcus pneumoniae carriage among rural Gambian mother-infant pairs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Streptococcus pneumoniae </it>is an important cause of community acquired pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis and otitis media globally and has been incriminated as a major cause of serious childhood bacterial infections in The Gambia. Better understanding of the dynamics of transmission and carriage will inform control strategies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study was conducted among 196 mother-infant pairs recruited at birth from six villages in the West Kiang region of The Gambia. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from mother-infant pairs at birth (within 12 hours of delivery), 2, 5 and 12 months. Standard techniques of culture were used to identify carriage and serotype <it>S. pneumoniae</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 46 serotypes identified, the 6 most common, 6A, 6B, 14, 15, 19F and 23F, accounted for 67.3% of the isolates from infants. Carriage of any serotype among infants rose from 1.5% at birth to plateau at approximately 80% by 2 m (prevalence at 2 m = 77%; 5 m = 86%; 12 m = 78%). Likewise, maternal carriage almost doubled in the first 2 months post-partum and remained elevated for the next 10 m (prevalence at birth = 13%; 2 m = 24%; 5 m = 22%; 12 m = 21%). Carriage was significantly seasonal in both infants and mothers with a peak in December and lowest transmission in August. The total number of different serotypes we isolated from each infant varied and less than would be expected had the serotypes assorted independently. In contrast, this variability was much as expected among mothers. The half-life of a serotype colony was estimated to be 1.90 m (CI_95%: 1.66-2.21) in infants and 0.75 m (CI_95%: 0.55-1.19) in mothers. While the odds for a serotype to be isolated from an infant increased by 9-fold if it had also been isolated from the mother, the population attributable fraction (PAF) of pneumococcal carriage in infants due to maternal carriage was only 9.5%. Some marked differences in dynamics were observed between vaccine and non-vaccine serotypes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Colonisation of the nasopharynx in Gambian infants by <it>S. pneumoniae </it>is rapid and highly dynamic. Immunity or inter-serotype competition may play a role in the dynamics. Reducing mother-infant transmission would have a minimal effect on infant carriage.</p