Efficient Scheme For Payment Minimization And Qos Services To Clients In Cloud

A new technique namely payment minimization error-tolerant algorithm which reduces the payment to clients is proposed in this paper.From cloud organization suppliers' perspective, advantage is a champion amongst the most basic examinations, and it is essentially controlled by the course of action of a cloud organization stage under given business division demand. In any case, a solitary long haul leasing plan is typically grasped to outline a cloud stage, which can't guarantee the organization quality yet prompts bona fide resource waste. In this anticipate, a twofold asset leasing plan is formed firstly in which temporary renting and whole deal renting. Double renting scheme provides profit to service providers but it can’t minimize the payment to clients based on services taken by clients in order to overcome this problem, the proposed scheme isdemonistrated to give better quality service to clients and also minimizes the payments for clients

Prevalence of teenage pregnancy and pregnancy outcome at a rural teaching hospital in India

Background: Teenage pregnancy accounts for 11% of births worldwide and 95% of these occur in low middle income countries. Pregnancy and its complications are leading cause of death among these girls. This study was done to know the prevalence and to determine whether teenage mothers are at risk of adverse pregnancy outcome.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital, India between July 2015 to Dec, 2017. All teenage mothers delivered after 28 weeks of gestation were included. Women with Diabetes mellitus, renal disease, thyroid disorders were excluded. Demographic data, maternal complications like anaemia, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm birth, mode of delivery, low birth weight, NICU admissions, stillbirth and early neonatal death were recorded.Results: In the present study, the prevalence was 7% which is less than that of other studies. Incidence of caesarean-Section in the present study was 31%. Amongst the complications oligohydramnious was found to be significantly associated with teenage pregnancy. NICU admissions were needed for 43% of the cases and 31% were LBW.Conclusions: High NICU admission and high LBW in newborns of teenage mothers were noted in the current study. Hence, there is urgent need to focus on the teenage pregnancy

Contrast response function estimation with nonparametric Bayesian active learning

Multidimensional psychometric functions can typically be estimated nonparametrically for greater accuracy or parametrically for greater efficiency. By recasting the estimation problem from regression to classification, however, powerful machine learning tools can be leveraged to provide an adjustable balance between accuracy and efficiency. Contrast sensitivity functions (CSFs) are behaviorally estimated curves that provide insight into both peripheral and central visual function. Because estimation can be impractically long, current clinical workflows must make compromises such as limited sampling across spatial frequency or strong assumptions on CSF shape. This article describes the development of the machine learning contrast response function (MLCRF) estimator, which quantifies the expected probability of success in performing a contrast detection or discrimination task. A machine learning CSF can then be derived from the MLCRF. Using simulated eyes created from canonical CSF curves and actual human contrast response data, the accuracy and efficiency of the machine learning contrast sensitivity function (MLCSF) was evaluated to determine its potential utility for research and clinical applications. With stimuli selected randomly, the MLCSF estimator converged slowly toward ground truth. With optimal stimulus selection via Bayesian active learning, convergence was nearly an order of magnitude faster, requiring only tens of stimuli to achieve reasonable estimates. Inclusion of an informative prior provided no consistent advantage to the estimator as configured. MLCSF achieved efficiencies on par with quickCSF, a conventional parametric estimator, but with systematically higher accuracy. Because MLCSF design allows accuracy to be traded off against efficiency, it should be explored further to uncover its full potential

Exploring biorepository donation patterns, experiences, and recommendations: a mixed-methods study among Appalachian adults enrolled in a sugary drink reduction program

BackgroundUnder-represented subgroups in biomarker research linked to behavioral health trials may impact the promise of precision health. This mixed methods study examines biorepository donations across an Appalachian sample enrolled in a sugary drink reduction intervention trial.MethodsParticipants enrolled in the behavioral trial were asked to join an optional biomarker study and were tracked for enrollment and biospecimen returns (stool and/or buccal sample). At 6 months, participants completed a summative interview on decision-making process, experiences collecting samples, and recommendations to encourage biospecimen donation. Return rates were analyzed across demographics (i.e., age, gender, race, education, income, health literacy status, and rurality status) using chi-squares. Qualitative data were content coded with differences compared by biomarker study enrollment and donation choices.ResultsOf the 249 invited participants, 171 (61%) enrolled, and 63% (n = 157) returned buccal samples and 49% (n = 122) returned stool samples. Metro residing participants were significantly more likely (56%) to return stool samples compared to non-metro (39%) counterparts [x2(1) = 6.61; p = 0.01]. Buccal sample return had a similar trend, 67 and 57%, respectively for metro vs. non-metro [x2(1) = 2.84; p = 0.09]. An additional trend indicated that older (≥40 years) participants were more likely (55%) to donate stool samples than younger (43%) participants [x2(1) = 3.39; p = 0.07]. No other demographics were significantly associated with biospecimen return. Qualitative data indicated that societal (66–81%) and personal (41–51%) benefits were the most reported reasons for deciding to donate one or both samples, whereas mistrust (3–11%) and negative perceptions of the collection process (44–71%) were cited the most by those who declined one or both samples. Clear instructions (60%) and simple collection kits (73%) were donation facilitators while challenges included difficult stool collection kits (16%) and inconveniently located FedEx centers (16%). Recommendations to encourage future biorepository donation were to clarify benefits to science and others (58%), provide commensurate incentives (25%), explain purpose (19%) and privacy protections (20%), and assure ease in sample collection (19%).ConclusionStudy findings suggest the need for biomarker research awareness campaigns. Researchers planning for future biomarker studies in medically underserved regions, like Appalachia, may be able to apply findings to optimize enrollment

Scleromyxedema with histology resembling granuloma annulare

Scleromyxedema is a generalized and progressive fibromucinous disorder associated with substantial cutaneous and systemic morbidity.  The diagnosis is often challenging, as is management. We present here a patient with scleromyxedema with atypical, granuloma annulare-like histology, which contributed to delayed diagnosis and management, including a delayed workup for multiple myeloma.  Ultimately, the patient did well with appropriate therapy, but his presentation illustrates the importance of more widespread familiarity among dermatologists and dermatopathologists with this variant of scleromyxedema

Magnetoferritin enhances T₂ contrast in magnetic resonance imaging of macrophages

Imaging of immune cells has wide implications in understanding disease progression and staging. While optical imaging is limited in penetration depth due to light properties, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging provides a more powerful tool for the imaging of deep tissues where immune cells reside. Due to poor MR signal to noise ratio, tracking of such cells typically requires contrast agents. This report presents an in-depth physical characterization and application of archaeal magnetoferritin for MR imaging of macrophages - an important component of the innate immune system that is the first line of defense and first responder in acute inflammation. Magnetoferritin is synthesized by loading iron in apoferritin in anaerobic condition at 65 °C. The loading method results in one order of magnitude enhancement of r1 and r2 relaxivities compared to standard ferritin synthesized by aerobic loading of iron at room temperature. Detailed characterizations of the magnetoferritin revealed a crystalline core structure that is distinct from previously reported ones indicating magnetite form. The magnetite core is more stable in the presence of reducing agents and has higher peroxidase-like activities compared to the core in standard loading. Co-incubation of macrophage cells with magnetoferritin in-vitro shows significantly higher enhancement in T2-MRI contrast of the immune cells compared to standard ferritin.Nanyang Technological UniversityThis work was supported by NTU-Northwestern Institute for Nano-medicine located at the International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, USA and the Nanyang Technological Univer-sity, Singapore (Grant No. M4081504.F40.706022)

Primary Cardiac Sarcoma: Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Factors over the Past 2 Decades

Background: Primary cardiac sarcomas (PCS) are extremely rare malignant tumors involving the heart. Only isolated case reports have been described in the literature over different periods of time. This pathology has been associated with a dismal prognosis and given its rarity; treatment options are very limited. Furthermore, there are contrasting data about the effectiveness of current treatment modalities in improving the survival of patients with PCS, including surgical resection which is the mainstay of therapy. There is a paucity of data on the epidemiological characteristics of PCS. This study has the objective of investigating the epidemiologic characteristics, survival outcomes, and independent prognostic factors of PCS. Methods: A total of 362 patients were ultimately registered in our study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The study period was from 2000 to 2017. Demographics such as clinical characteristics, overall mortality (OM), and PCS-specific mortality (CSM) were taken into account. A p value of p p = 0.033); and PCS with distant metastases (HR = 1.888, 95% CI 1.389–2.566, p p = 0.025) had a better OM (HR = 0.606, 95% CI 0.465–0.791, p p p p = 0.008) and those who underwent surgery (HR = 0.581, 95% CI 0.436–0.774, p p p = 0.001) were found to have a higher OM in the multivariate analyses adjusting for covariates). Lower OM was found in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (HR = 0.364, 95% CI 0.154–0.86, p = 0.021) and widowed patients (HR = 0.506, 95% CI 0.263–0.977, p = 0.042). Multivariate cox proportional hazard regression analyses of CSM also revealed higher mortality of the same groups, and lower mortality in patients with Rhabdomyosarcoma. Conclusion: In this United States population-based retrospective cohort study using the SEER database, we found that cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma was associated with the lowest CSM and OM. Furthermore, as expected, age and advanced disease at diagnosis were independent factors predicting poor prognosis. Surgical resection of the primary tumor showed lower CSM and OM in the crude analysis but when adjusted for covariates in the multivariate analysis, it did not significantly impact the overall mortality or the cancer-specific mortality. These findings allow for treating clinicians to recognize patients that should be referred to palliative/hospice care at the time of diagnosis and avoid any surgical interventions as they did not show any differences in mortality. Surgical resection, adjuvant chemotherapy, and/or radiation in patients with poor prognoses should be reserved as palliative measures rather than an attempt to cure the disease

CytLEK1 Is a Regulator of Plasma Membrane Recycling through Its Interaction with SNAP-25

SNAP-25 is a component of the SNARE complex that is involved in membrane docking and fusion. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identify a novel interaction between SNAP-25 and cytoplasmic Lek1 (cytLEK1), a protein previously demonstrated to associate with the microtubule network. The binding domains within each protein were defined by yeast two-hybrid, coimmunoprecipitation, and colocalization studies. Confocal analyses reveal a high degree of colocalization between the proteins. In addition, the endogenous proteins can be isolated as a complex by immunoprecipitation. Further analyses demonstrate that cytLEK1 and SNAP-25 colocalize and coprecipitate with Rab11a, myosin Vb, VAMP2, and syntaxin 4, components of the plasma membrane recycling pathway. Overexpression of the SNAP-25–binding domain of cytLEK1, and depletion of endogenous Lek1 alters transferrin trafficking, consistent with a function in vesicle recycling. Taken together, our studies indicate that cytLEK1 is a link between recycling vesicles and the microtubule network through its association with SNAP-25. This interaction may play a key role in the regulation of the recycling endosome pathway