THE COMPLEXITY OF RP SELECTION IN MULTICAST CHANNELIZATION

Rendezvous point (RP) selection for multicast groups is the problem of selecting a node to serve as the RP-host for a multicast group. We consider rendezvous point selection in the context of channelization where groups have been established based on user preferences for a set of available flows. Thus, each of the flows associated with a group will arrive at the node that serves as the RP-host for that group, from which those flows will be multicast to the group subscribers. We study the simultaneous assignment of RP-hosts for a collection of multicast groups with the dual goals of a) not overloading any single node serving as a host; and, b) minimizing the total network traffic. Toward those ends we consider two versions of the problem. For Bounded Host Assignment, we give a polynomial time algorithm for finding an optimal assignment. For Host Traffic Constrained Assignment, we establish that the problem is NP-complete and then study approximation algorithms. Simulation results are provided for the latter problem comparing the effectiveness of the solutions produced by our algorithms with optimal solutions

The 'Be a Friend to your Dog' program

This paper will introduce and evaluate a teaching resource package developed by Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities (AMRRIC) entitled 'Be a Friend to your Dog' (BAFTYD). Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia have stated the need for raising the level of awareness, empathy and responsibility towards community animals. Hence, the BAFTYD program has been delivered to children in the school environment and to community members in remote Indigenous communities in the NT to promote and maintain positive attitudes and behaviour towards animals, and to help people stay safe around dogs. The BAFTYD program aims to work with the community in a manner which is culturally sensitive and agreed upon by all parties. Ultimately, the project aims to support existing teachers in the community and Indigenous animal management workers to deliver key animal welfare messages to schoolchildren and other community members. The provision of the teaching resources to the educators who reside in the community will help to ensure that the program is locally relevant and sustainable

H-Diplo Roundtable XXII-30 on Nichter. The Last Brahmin: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and the Making of the Cold War

A set of reviews of Luke A. Nichter\u27s The Last Brahmin: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. and the Making of the Cold War, with a response from the author

Better use of capital to deliver sustainable water supply and sanitation services: Practical examples and suggested next steps

The costs of meeting the SDG WASH targets will be several times higher than investment levels during the MDG era (2000–15). The immense scale of the financing gap calls for innovative solutions. In addition to mobilizing more funding another approach is to deliver the needed infrastructure more efficiently and effectively and thus reduce the financing gap. Capital expenditure efficiency (CEE)—the efficient and effective use of capital—is less documented compared to operational efficiency. Although improving operating efficiency is frequently highlighted and readily evaluated, the scope for capital cost efficiencies is poorly understood, frequently overlooked, and difficult to evaluate, even though the scale of savings can be significant—in fact, capital and operating costs are equally important when considering full cost recovery. This study compiles case studies that show the "art of the possible" in CEE. The report is not encyclopedic—many more examples could surface from a comprehensive study. It also doesn’t quantify the savings possible through increasing CEE. However, almost all the examples show capital savings of 25 percent or more compared to traditional solutions. This alone this should give policy makers, donors, and utility managers pause for thought and encourage them to develop CEE in their sectors, projects, or utilities. A 25 percent improvement in CEE would allow existing investments to deliver a 33 percent increase in benefits

Characterisation of the mantle transcriptome and biomineralisation genes in the blunt-gaper clam, Mya truncata

Members of the Myidae family are ecologically and economically important, but there is currently very little molecular data on these species. The present study sequenced and assembled the mantle transcriptome of Mya truncata from the North West coast of Scotland and identified candidate biomineralisation genes. RNA-Seq reads were assembled to create 20,106 contigs in a de novo transciptome, 18.81% of which were assigned putative functions using BLAST sequence similarity searching (cuttoff E-value 1E − 10). The most highly expressed genes were compared to the Antarctic clam (Laternula elliptica) and showed that many of the dominant biological functions (muscle contraction, energy production, biomineralisation) in the mantle were conserved. There were however, differences in the constitutive expression of heat shock proteins, which were possibly due to the M. truncata sampling location being at a relatively low latitude, and hence relatively warm, in terms of the global distribution of the species. Phylogenetic analyses of the Tyrosinase proteins from M. truncata showed a gene expansion which was absent in L. elliptica. The tissue distribution expression patterns of putative biomineralisation genes were investigated using quantitative PCR, all genes showed a mantle specific expression pattern supporting their hypothesised role in shell secretion. The present study provides some preliminary insights into how clams from different environments – temperate versus polar – build their shells. In addition, the transcriptome data provides a valuable resource for future comparative studies investigating biomineralisation

A census-based housing vulnerability index for typhoon hazards in the Philippines

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction recognises housing as an important element of vulnerability, however, there remains limited understanding of how sub-national housing vulnerability varies spatially. This research sought to develop a municipal-level housing vulnerability index for typhoon hazards, applied at a national scale in the Philippines. We first selected 25 housing vulnerability indicators from the 2015 Philippines census, which were reduced into seven underlying dimensions of typhoon-related housing vulnerability using principal component analysis: housing density, housing quality, crowdedness, tenure security, extreme substandard housing, drinking water source, and structural integrity. These components were then aggregated to create a relative housing vulnerability index. We applied spatial clustering analysis to test for patterns, finding increasing housing vulnerability from north to south, with nuance in municipalities that defy these national trends. Our results offer a more granular view of housing vulnerability which may assist in unpacking how localised housing conditions contribute to disaster risk and assist researchers and government agencies in targeting disaster interventions

Schizophrenia polygenic risk and experiences of childhood adversity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and Hypothesis Schizophrenia has been robustly associated with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. Childhood adversity is one of the most widely replicated environmental risk factors for schizophrenia, but it is unclear if schizophrenia genetic risk alleles contribute to this association. Study Design In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the evidence for gene-environment correlation (genes influence likelihood of environmental exposure) between schizophrenia polygenic risk score (PRS) and reported childhood adversity. We also assessed the evidence for a gene-environment interaction (genes influence sensitivity to environmental exposure) in relation to the outcome of schizophrenia and/or psychosis. This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020182812). Following PRISMA guidelines, a search for relevant literature was conducted using Cochrane, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus databases until February 2022. All studies that examined the association between schizophrenia PRS and childhood adversity were included. Study Results Seventeen of 650 identified studies met the inclusion criteria and were assessed against the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for quality. The meta-analysis found evidence for gene-environment correlation between schizophrenia PRS and childhood adversity (r = .02; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.03; P = .001), but the effect was small and therefore likely to explain only a small proportion of the association between childhood adversity and psychosis. The 4 studies that investigated a gene-environment interaction between schizophrenia PRS and childhood adversity in increasing risk of psychosis reported inconsistent results. Conclusions These findings suggest that a gene-environment correlation could explain a small proportion of the relationship between reported childhood adversity and psychosis

Polymorphism of the flap endonuclease 1 gene in keratoconus and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy

Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including serious ocular diseases, keratoconus (KC) and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) plays an important role in the repair of oxidative DNA damage in the base excision repair pathway. We determined the association between two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), c.-441G>A (rs174538) and g.61564299G>T (rs4246215), in the FEN1 gene and the occurrence of KC and FECD. This study involved 279 patients with KC, 225 patients with FECD and 322 control individuals. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and length polymorphism restriction fragment analysis (RFLP) were applied. The T/T genotype of the g.61564299G>T polymorphism was associated with an increased occurrence of KC and FECD. There was no association between the c.-441G>A polymorphism and either disease. However, the GG haplotype of both polymorphisms was observed more frequently and the GT haplotype less frequently in the KC group than the control. The AG haplotype was associated with increased FECD occurrence. Our findings suggest that the g.61564299G>T and c.-441G>A polymorphisms in the FEN1 gene may modulate the risk of keratoconus and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy.peer-reviewe

Augmented and virtual reality in spine surgery, current applications and future potentials

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: The field of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing, especially with recent improvements in deep learning (DL) techniques. Augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are finding their place in healthcare, and spine surgery is no exception. The unique capabilities and advantages of AR and VR devices include their low cost, flexible integration with other technologies, user-friendly features and their application in navigation systems, which makes them beneficial across different aspects of spine surgery. Despite the use of AR for pedicle screw placement, targeted cervical foraminotomy, bone biopsy, osteotomy planning, and percutaneous intervention, the current applications of AR and VR in spine surgery remain limited. PURPOSE: The primary goal of this study was to provide the spine surgeons and clinical researchers with the general information about the current applications, future potentials, and accessibility of AR and VR systems in spine surgery. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: We reviewed titles of more than 250 journal papers from google scholar and PubMed with search words: augmented reality, virtual reality, spine surgery, and orthopaedic, out of which 89 related papers were selected for abstract review. Finally, full text of 67 papers were analyzed and reviewed. METHODS: The papers were divided into four groups: technological papers, applications in surgery, applications in spine education and training, and general application in orthopaedic. A team of two reviewers performed paper reviews and a thorough web search to ensure the most updated state of the art in each of four group is captured in the review. RESULTS: In this review we discuss the current state of the art in AR and VR hardware, their preoperative applications and surgical applications in spine surgery. Finally, we discuss the future potentials of AR and VR and their integration with AI, robotic surgery, gaming, and wearables. CONCLUSIONS: AR and VR are promising technologies that will soon become part of standard of care in spine surgery. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc

elearning improves allied health professionals\u27 knowledge and confidence to manage medically unexplained chronic fatigue states: A randomized controlled trial

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of eLearning by allied health professionals on improving the knowledge and confidence to manage people with medically unexplained chronic fatigue states (FS). Methods: Using a parallel randomized controlled trial design, participants were randomized 1:1 to a 4-week eLearning or wait-list control group. Knowledge and self-reported confidence in clinical skills to implement a therapeutic intervention for patients with FS were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up. Secondary outcomes (adherence and satisfaction with online education, knowledge retention) were also assessed. Data was analyzed using intention-to-treat. Results: There were 239 participants were randomized (eLearning n = 119, control n = 120), of whom 101 (85%) eLearning and 107 (89%) control participants completed baseline assessments and were included in the analysis. Knowledge (out of 100) improved significantly more in the eLearning group compared to the control group [mean difference (95% CI) 8.6 (5.9 to 11.4), p \u3c 0.001]. Knowledge was reduced in the eLearning group at follow-up but was still significantly higher than baseline [6.0 (3.7 to 8.3), p \u3c 0.001]. Median change (out of 5) in confidence in clinical skills to implement the FS intervention was also significantly greater in the eLearning group compared to the control group [knowledge: eLearning (1.2), control (0); clinical skills: eLearning (1), control (0.1); both p \u3c 0.001)]. Average time spent on the eLearning program was 8.8 h. Most participants (80%) rated the lesson difficulty as at the “right level”, and 91% would recommend it to others. Conclusions: eLearning increased knowledge and confidence to manage FS amongst allied health professionals and was well-accepted. Registration: ACTRN12616000296437 https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=370222&isReview=true