A Declarative Perspective on Adaptive MANET Routing

In this paper, we present a declarative perspective on adaptable extensible MANET protocols. Our work builds upon declarative networking, a recent innovation for building extensible network architectures using declarative languages. We make the following contributions. First, we demonstrate that traditional MANET protocols, ranging from proactive, reactive, to epidemic can be expressed in a compact fashion as declarative networks, and we validate experimentally the use of declarative techniques to implement traditional MANETs emulated on a testbed cluster. Second, we show that the declarative framework enables policy-driven adaptation, in which a generic set of declarative rule-based policies are used to make runtime decisions on the choice of MANET protocols. Third, we present some initial ideas on fine-grained protocol composition and adaptation, where a typical MANET protocol can be composed and adapted from simpler components

Cologne: A Declarative Distributed Constraint Optimization Platform

This paper presents Cologne, a declarative optimization platform that enables constraint optimization problems (COPs) to be declaratively specified and incrementally executed in distributed systems. Cologne integrates a declarative networking engine with an off-theshelf constraint solver. We have developed the Colog language that combines distributed Datalog used in declarative networking with language constructs for specifying goals and constraints used in COPs. Cologne uses novel query processing strategies for processing Colog programs, by combining the use of bottom-up distributed Datalog evaluation with top-down goal-oriented constraint solving. Using case studies based on cloud and wireless network optimizations, we demonstrate that Cologne (1) can flexibly support a wide range of policy-based optimizations in distributed systems, (2) results in orders of magnitude less code compared to imperative implementations, and (3) is highly efficient with low overhead and fast convergence times

Recent Advances in Declarative Networking

Declarative networking is a programming methodology that enables developers to concisely specify network protocols and services, and directly compile these specifications into a dataflow framework for execution. This paper describes recent advances in declarative networking, tracing its evolution from a rapid prototyping framework towards a platform that serves as an important bridge connecting formal theories for reasoning about protocol correctness and actual implementations. In particular, the paper focuses on the use of declarative networking for addressing four main challenges in the distributed systems development cycle: the generation of safe routing implementations, debugging, security and privacy, and optimizing distributed systems

Differentiate Quality of Experience Scheduling for Deep Learning Inferences with Docker Containers in the Cloud

With the prevalence of big-data-driven applications, such as face recognition on smartphones and tailored recommendations from Google Ads, we are on the road to a lifestyle with significantly more intelligence than ever before. Various neural network powered models are running at the back end of their intelligence to enable quick responses to users. Supporting those models requires lots of cloud-based computational resources, e.g., CPUs and GPUs. The cloud providers charge their clients by the amount of resources that they occupy. Clients have to balance the budget and quality of experiences (e.g., response time). The budget leans on individual business owners, and the required Quality of Experience (QoE) depends on usage scenarios of different applications. For instance, an autonomous vehicle requires an real-time response, but unlocking your smartphone can tolerate delays. However, cloud providers fail to offer a QoE-based option to their clients. In this paper, we propose DQoES, differentiated quality of experience scheduler for deep learning inferences. DQoES accepts clients' specifications on targeted QoEs, and dynamically adjusts resources to approach their targets. Through the extensive cloud-based experiments, DQoES demonstrates that it can schedule multiple concurrent jobs with respect to various QoEs and achieve up to 8x times more satisfied models when compared to the existing syste

TROPIC: Transactional Resource Orchestration Platform In The Cloud

Realizing Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud requires a control platform to orchestrate cloud resource provisioning, configuration, and decommissioning across a distributed set of diverse physical resources. This orchestration is challenging due to the rapid growth of data centers, high failure rate of commodity hardware and the increasing sophistication of cloud services. This paper presents the design and implementation of TROPIC, a highly available, transactional resource orchestration platform for building IaaS cloud infrastructures. TROPIC’s orchestration procedures that manipulate physical resources are transactional, automatically guaranteeing atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability of cloud operations. Through extensive evaluation of our prototype implementation, we demonstrate that TROPIC can meet production-scale cloud orchestration demands, while maintaining our design goals of safety, robustness, concurrency and high availability

INTERVENTION EFFECT AND DOSE-DEPENDENT RESPONSE OF TANREQING INJECTION ON AIRWAY MUCUS HYPERSECRETION IN LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-INDUCED RATS

Background: Tanreqing injection, a Chinese herbal formulation comprising Radix Scutellariae, Fructus Forsythiae, Flos Lonicerae, Antelope horn, and Bear bile powder, has been used to treat bronchitis and pneumonia for many years in China. However, its anti-mucus-hypersecretion mechanism has yet not been fully interpreted. We aim to assess the effect and dose-response relationships of Tanreqing injection on lipopolysacchaide (LPS) induced airway mucus hypersecretion in rats. Material and methods: Forty-eight male rats were randomly divided into four groups (12 per group). A rat model of airway mucus hypersecretion was generated with LPS. Tanreqing injection was given by intratracheal instillation, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from the right lung was collected. BALF total protein was determined by bicinchoninic acid disodium assay (BCA). Muc5ac was measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry. The expression of muc5ac mRNA was detected by real-time polyermase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The middle lobe of the right lung was stained with alcian blue-periodic acid sthiff (AB-PAS) and positive staining relative shading area examined. Results: LPS caused airway mucus hypersecretion, The LPS-induced airway mucus hypersecretion increased beginning at 24 hr, and peaked at 96 hr. Tanreqing injection could inhibit airway mucus hypersecretion, and suppress the expression of muc5ac mRNA. Conclusion: Tanreqing injection inhibits airway mucus hypersecretion in a certain dose-dependent trend

Risk of pneumocystosis after early discontinuation of prophylaxis among HIV-infected patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Risk of pneumocystosis after discontinuation of primary or secondary prophylaxis among HIV-infected patients before CD4 counts increase to ≧200 cells/μL (early discontinuation) after receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is rarely investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Medical records of 660 HIV-infected patients with baseline CD4 counts <200 cells/μL who sought HIV care and received HAART at a university hospital in Taiwan between 1 April, 1997 and 30 September, 2007 were reviewed to assess the incidence rate of pneumocystosis after discontinuation of prophylaxis for pneumocystosis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence rate of pneumocystosis after HAART was 2.81 per 100 person-years among 521 patients who did not initiate prophylaxis or had early discontinuation of prophylaxis, which was significantly higher than the incidence rate of 0.45 per 100 person-years among 139 patients who continued prophylaxis until CD4 counts increased to ≧200 cells/μL (adjusted risk ratio, 5.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.18, 23.94). Among the 215 patients who had early discontinuation of prophylaxis after achievement of undetectable plasma HIV RNA load, the incidence rate of pneumocystosis was reduced to 0.31 per 100 person-years, which was similar to that of the patients who continued prophylaxis until CD4 counts increased to ≧200 cells/μL (adjusted risk ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.03, 14.89).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Compared with the risk of pneumocystosis among patients who continued prophylaxis until CD4 counts increased to ≧200 cells/μL after HAART, the risk was significantly higher among patients who discontinued prophylaxis when CD4 counts remained <200 cells/μL, while the risk could be reduced among patients who achieved undetectable plasma HIV RNA load after HAART.</p

Effect of estradiol on proliferation and differentiation of side population stem/progenitor cells from murine endometrium

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In our previous study, endometrium side population cells (SP cells) were isolated from postpartum murine uterus, and characterized by a heterogeneous population of stem/progenitor cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of estrogen on the proliferation and differentiation of SP cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>SP and non-SP cells of postpartum murine endometrium were isolated by DNA dye Hoechst 33342. The expression of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Real-time PCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. The proliferation and differentiation of SP cells treated with different concentrations [10(-8) M-10(-6) M] of estradiol (E2) and E2+ ICI182780 (Faslodex, inhibitor of ESR1) were measured by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazoly1-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) and clonogenic assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>(1) SP cells expressed ESR1 at a higher level than non-SP cells. (2) The level of E2 in the serum and the expression of ESR1 in the uterus of postpartum murine changed in the same manner with the ratio of SP cells to total uterus cells at a different postpartum time point. ESR1, as ABCG2 is also predominantly located in the stroma and the glandular epithelium of the uterus. (3) 10(-6) M E2 notably promoted the proliferation of SP cells after treatment for 24 h. This effect could be inhibited by ICI182780. E2 at the concentration of 10(-7) M or 10(-8) M was sent to impair the large cloning efficiency (CE) of SP cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The effect of estrogen on the proliferation and differentiation of endometrium SP cells via ESR1 was observed and it was in a concentration dependent fashion. Clearly, more work is needed to understand the <it>in vivo </it>effect of E2 at the physiological concentration on the differentiation of SP cells.</p