Addressing the Challenges in Federating Edge Resources

This book chapter considers how Edge deployments can be brought to bear in a global context by federating them across multiple geographic regions to create a global Edge-based fabric that decentralizes data center computation. This is currently impractical, not only because of technical challenges, but is also shrouded by social, legal and geopolitical issues. In this chapter, we discuss two key challenges - networking and management in federating Edge deployments. Additionally, we consider resource and modeling challenges that will need to be addressed for a federated Edge.Comment: Book Chapter accepted to the Fog and Edge Computing: Principles and Paradigms; Editors Buyya, Sriram

Comparison of Medpor Coated Tear Drainage Tube versus Silicon Tear Drainage Tube in Conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy: Problems and Solutions

Purpose. This study aims at comparing two different types of drainage tubes in conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy, which are used for upper lacrimal system obstruction or damage, with respect to their respective postoperative problems and solutions. Methods. Nineteen eyes of 17 patients who underwent conjunctivodacryocystorhinostomy (CDCR) or conjunctivorhinostomy (CR) surgery with a Medpor coated tear drainage tube or silicon tube placement between October, 2010, and February, 2014, were included in this retrospective comparative study. Results. In the initial surgery, Medpor coated tear drainage tubes were used in 11 eyes by CDCR, whereas silicon tear drainage tubes were implanted into 2 eyes by CR and 6 eyes by CDCR. In group 1, proximal and distal obstructions developed postoperatively in 4 eyes, while 1 eye showed tube malposition and 3 eyes developed luminal obstruction by debris 3 times. In group 2, tube extrusion developed in 4 eyes, whereas tube malposition developed in 6 eyes and luminal obstruction by debris developed in 6 eyes at different times, for a total of 20 times. Conclusions. In our study, the most significant complication we observed in the use of silicon tear drainage tubes was tube extrusion,whereas the leading complication related to the use of Medpor coated tear drainage tubes was tube obstruction

Production of concrete compatible biogranules for self-healing concrete applications

Recently, cost-efficient nitrate reducing biogranules were suggested as an alternative to axenic microbial cultures for development of microbial self-healing concrete. In a marine environment, biogranule containing microbial self-healing concrete showed simultaneous self-healing of cracks and immunisation against rebar corrosion. Yet, information about the production strategy of these biogranules and their compatibility with a mortar matrix is limited. This study presents the production of biogranules and their compatibility with mortar specimens when incorporated at dosages between 0.36% to 4.30% w/w cement (0.25% to 3% of bacteria w/w cement). In-house produced biogranules composed of 70% bacteria and 30% of minerals w/w of biogranule were used for the compatibility tests. In test mortars, calcium formate (CF) and calcium nitrate (CN) were used as regular nutrient admixtures, and nutrient content was set identical in every batch. Up to 2.9% incorporation, biogranules had no significant influence on the fresh properties of mortar. More than 2.9% incorporation caused poor workability and a 26% decrease in 3-Day compressive strength of biomortar specimens. Overall, the biogranules produced are compatible with a cementitious matrix up to 2.9% w/w cement, and even up to 3.6% if early age strength is not essential, which makes biogranules one of the most compatible microbial healing agents among the suggested agents in the literature

Interaction between caspofungin or voriconazole and cefoperazone-sulbactam or piperacillin-tazobactam by in vitro and in vivo methods

Immunosuppressive patients are at risk of fungal and bacterial infections. Therefore, these patients receive prophylactic, preemptive, empirical or target antifungal and concomitant antibiotic therapy. To this end, caspofungin (CAS) or voriconazole (VRC) antifungals and cefoperazone-sulbactam (CPZ/SAM) or piperacillin-tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) antibiotics may be used. Here, we aimed to investigate the interaction between these antifungals and antibiotics by in vitro and in vivo methods. The interaction was tested by chequerboard analysis and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). It was also tested in a neutropenic mice-invasive candidiasis model and evaluated by fungal burden in kidney tissue of infected animals from the first day to the fifth day of treatment with 24h intervals. A synergism was detected between CAS and CPZ/SAM (FICI=0.1) and PIP/TAZ (FICI=0.3). Fungal burden in tissues of drug-treated mice was reduced compared with controls in a time-dependent manner. In comparison with CAS-alone treated group, there were 1.32log(10) reductions of fungal burden in CAS+CPZ/SAM (p=0.002) and in CAS+PIP/TAZ group (p=0.14). The same interactions were not found with VRC and antibiotics. CPZ/SAM had stronger synergistic interaction with CAS than PIP/TAZ. The mechanism of synergism is not well understood. This is most likely due to an increase in the anticandidal effect of CAS plus antibiotics

Relationship between bladder cancer and polymorphisms of OX40 (rs17568) and OX40L (rs1234313) genes in a Turkish population

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate a possible association between the variations and effects of gene changes in the OX40/OX40L pathway and the risk of developing bladder cancer in a Turkish population. The study included 104 patients with bladder cancer and 97 healthy individuals. The distribution of OX40 (rs17568) and OX40L (rs1234313) polymorphisms was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The genotype distributions of OX40 rs17568 regions showed non-significant differences between the patient and control groups (p = 0.256). No difference was also found in T2 invasive tumours, high, and low-grade tumours. The genotype distributions of the OX40L rs1234313 region were significantly different between the patient and control groups (p = 0.023). The frequency of the GG genotype and homozygous GG/AA genotypes was higher among the patients than in the control group, and the difference was significant (for GG genotype: OR 0.462; 95% CI 0.255–0.835; p = 0.010; for GG/AA genotype: OR 0.456 (0.257–0.808; p: 0.007). The OX40L A allele (AA/AG) had higher frequency in T2 invasive bladder cancer patients than in those with T1 and Ta (p = 0.028). There was no statistically significant difference in the OX40L genotype distributions among the graded tumour groups (p = 0.689). The results indicate that the rs1234313 A/G gene polymorphism may contribute to the development of bladder cancer in this Turkish population. Further observations in a larger cohort need to confirm this suggestion