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• Veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS) is rare after reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) transplantation with a cumulative incidence of 1.6% in our large modern cohort. • VOD/SOS continues to be associated with a high nonrelapse mortality (NRM); in our cohort, day 100 NRM was 23% in patients with VOD/SOS compared with 6.4% in patients without VOD/SOS. • VOD/SOS in RIC patients often does not meet classical Baltimore/Seattle criteria and has a later onset, a lower peak bilirubin, and better survival than VOD/SOS in patients with myeloablative conditioning. • VOD/SOS after RIC is strongly associated with higher-dose busulfan (6.4 versus 3.2 mg/kg) in the RIC regimen and use of sirolimus in the graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis regimen. fludarabine with intravenous busulfan at doses of 3.2 mg/kg (Flu/Bu1) or 6.4 mg/kg (Flu/Bu2). Hepatic veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS) is a serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) that is felt to be triggered, at least in part, by damage to the liver sinusoidal endothelium from cytotoxic conditioning regimens. Accordingly, the incidence of VOD/SOS after reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) HCT is low compared with myeloablative transplantation, and the natural history, risk factors, and outcomes of VOD/SOS after RIC have not been well characterized. We retrospectively reviewed 1583 consecutive patients receiving RIC HCT at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute between 2007 and 2017 and ascertained 26 cases of VOD/SOS. The median day of VOD/SOS onset was 26 days (range, 5 to 48) and the cumulative incidence at day 50 was 1.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1% to 2.4%). Day 100 nonrelapse mortality rate was 23% in the VOD/SOS cohort compared with 6.4% in patients without VOD/SOS (P =.006). Cumulative incidence of VOD/SOS at day 50 was 3.1% after RIC regimen with Flu/Bu2 ± ATG (fludarabine with two doses of busulfan, total dose 6.4 mg/kg, with or without anti-thymocyte globulin), compared with 0.15% after Flu/Bu1 ± ATG (fludarabine with single busulfan dose 3.2 mg/kg, with or without anti-thymocyte globulin) (P =.0002); the incidence rate was 2.1% after RIC HCT with sirolimus-containing graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis, compared with 0.8% for RIC without sirolimus (P =.06). Significant risk factors identified in multivariable analysis for the development of VOD/SOS were sirolimus use (hazard ratio [HR], 5.1; 95% CI, 1.8 to 14.2; P =.002) and RIC regimen with Flu/Bu2 ± ATG (HR, 34; 95% CI, 4.5 to 252; P <.001) or other (HR, 32; 95% CI, 3.9 to 257; P =.001) compared with Flu/Bu1 ± ATG. Rising serum tacrolimus or sirolimus levels, new acute kidney injury, and increasing platelet transfusion requirements were significant early predictors of onset in the week preceding prior VOD/SOS diagnosis. When compared with a previously published cohort of 76 patients with VOD/SOS who developed VOD/SOS after myeloablative HCT in the same time period, VOD/SOS after RIC occurred later and was associated with a lower peak bilirubin level and better overall survival. The variability in presenting features for RIC VOD/SOS highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for this entity in RIC HCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Allogeneic HSCT patients experience elevated tacrolimus levels, renal dysfunction, and become refractory to platelet transfusion in the week before VOD/SOS diagnosis. • These dynamic clinical markers may aid in the earlier diagnosis of VOD/SOS. Abstract Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), or sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), is a serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with mortality in its severe form exceeding 80%. Although the incidence of VOD/SOS has fallen with contemporary transplantation practices, the increasing use of inotuzumab, the return of gemtuzumab, and the popularity of pharmacokinetic-guided high-dose busulfan may impact incidence. Early intervention with defibrotide improves survival, but prompt diagnosis can be difficult. We aimed to identify clinical parameters that could aid in early detection of VOD/SOS in a large, retrospective, cohort study. Of the 1823 adult patients who underwent myeloablative HSCT between 1996 and 2015 in our center, 205 (11%) developed VOD/SOS, with a median onset of day +14. We compared parameters in the 7 days preceding VOD/SOS onset for cases to 447 randomly selected control subjects in an analogous time frame to determine those with predictive value. Between 7 days before and the day of diagnosis, VOD/SOS patients had higher serum creatinine levels and were more likely to develop acute kidney injury (61% versus 33%, P <.0001), more commonly experienced refractoriness to platelet transfusion (48% versus 24%, P <.0001), and had higher trough serum tacrolimus levels (7 days before VOD/SOS onset: median 8.8 versus 7.3, P =.0002; day of onset: median 9.3 versus 7.2, P <.0001) compared with control subjects. Acute renal dysfunction, platelet refractoriness, and elevated or abnormal tacrolimus levels are dynamic clinical markers that should alert clinicians to the development of VOD/SOS before the presence of classical diagnostic criteria. Using these clinical features to recognize VOD/SOS earlier in its clinical course could promote earlier treatment and lead to improved outcomes of this potentially serious complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active microwave measurements have the potential to estimate vegetation optical depth (VOD), an indicator related to vegetation water content and biomass. The Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) provides long-term C-band backscatter data at vertical-vertical (VV) polarization from 2007. So far, very few studies have considered retrieving VOD from this active sensor. This study presents a new publicly released global long-term and continuous (2007–2020) C-band VOD dataset retrieved from the ASCAT observations, named the ASCAT INRAE-BORDEAUX or ASCAT IB VOD product. The retrieval algorithm is based on the Water Cloud Model (WCM) including the Ulaby bare soil model. The algorithm takes advantage of a multi-temporal (MT) retrieval method relying on a cost function where constraints to the retrieved parameters are implemented and a reanalysis soil moisture (SM) dataset from ERA5-Land is used as an input. The performance of ASCAT IB VOD was evaluated by inter-comparing it with ASCAT Technische Universität Wien (TUW), the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2), and VOD Climate Archive (VODCA) VOD products (the last two products are estimated from passive microwave observations). Results showed that ASCAT IB VOD presented the highest spatial correlation with aboveground biomass (R ∼ 0.83) and with the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) canopy height (R ∼ 0.84–0.85). In terms of temporal performance, ASCAT IB VOD had the highest correlation R values with leaf area index (LAI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) in most parts of the globe from 2013 to 2018. This contrasts with AMSR2 VODs which correlated better with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The new ASCAT-based VOD product on a global scale highlighted the potential benefit of combining active (namely ASCAT) and passive (namely AMSR2) VOD products for vegetation studies. • A new global C-VOD product (ASCAT IB) retrieved from active ASCAT observations. • A multi-temporal (MT) method allows retrieval of both VOD and scattering parameter. • ASCAT IB VOD shows a high sensitivity to vegetation biomass. • ASCAT (AMSR2) VOD correlates better with LAI (NDVI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live fuel moisture content (LFMC) is an important factor in fire risk management in the Mediterranean region. Drawing upon a large network of stations (the Réseau Hydrique) measuring LFMC for operational fire danger assessment in the south-eastern region of France, this study assesses the ability of several long-term passive microwave remote sensing indices to capture the LFMC temporal dynamic of various Mediterranean shrub species. Microwave remote sensing has a high potential for monitoring LFMC independently of several constraints ( e . g ., atmospheric and cloud contamination effects) associated with optical-infrared and thermal remote sensing observations. The following four microwave-derived indices are considered: (1) the Essential Climate Variable near-surface soil moisture (ECV_SM); (2) the root-zone soil moisture (ECV_RZSM) derived from ECV_SM; (3) the microwave polarization difference index (MPDI) computed from five microwave frequencies (C, X, Ku, K and Ka-band corresponding to 6.9, 10.7, 18.7, 23.8 and 36.5 GHz respectively); and (4) the vegetation optical depth (VOD) at C- and X-band (from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth observing system, AMSR-E). Firstly, an evaluation of the root-zone soil moisture ECV_RZSM against a network of soil moisture measurements (SMOSMANIA in southern France) gave satisfactory results. For most of the Réseau Hydrique sites, the present study found good agreement between LFMC and individual microwave indices, including root-zone soil moisture, VOD at X-band, and MPDI at X and Ku-bands, all averaged over the 15 days preceding the in - situ LFMC measurements. VOD at X-band showed the best agreement with the in situ LFMC data (median of correlation coefficients over all in situ sites = 0.43). Further comparisons between LFMC data and several optical indices computed from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) data including normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), visible atmospheric resistant index (VARI), normalized difference water index (NDWI), normalized difference infrared index 6 (NDII6), normalized difference infrared index 7 (NDII7) and global vegetation moisture index (GVMI) were made. The comparisons showed that VARI and SAVI, as optical greenness indices, outperform the microwave indices and other optical indices with median of correlation coefficients of 0.66 and 0.65, respectively. Overall, this study shows that passive microwave indices, particularly VOD, are efficient proxies for LFMC of Mediterranean shrub species and could be used along with optical indices to evaluate fire risks in the Mediterranean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), with high mortality in severe cases and until recently very limited therapeutic options consisting largely of supportive care. Defibrotide was recently approved in the United States for the treatment of severe VOD in patients with renal or pulmonary dysfunction after HSCT. Our group previously published on the use of high-dose methylprednisolone (500 mg/m 2 per dose every 12 hours for 6 doses) in patients with VOD, showing good success. A small subset of these individuals were also treated with defibrotide, but additional studies using the combination of high-dose methylprednisolone and defibrotide for the treatment of VOD are lacking. We present a single-institution retrospective chart review of 15 HSCT patients with VOD treated with the combination of high-dose methylprednisolone and defibrotide. VOD developed at a median of 17 days post-HSCT, and combination therapy was initiated within 1 day of VOD diagnosis. Twelve of 15 patients (80%) had multiorgan failure. Our single-center experience using both high-dose methylprednisolone and defibrotide showed a day +100 survival rate of 73% and an overall VOD complete resolution rate of 66.7%, higher than the rates reported in the recent literature using defibrotide alone (40% to 50% day +100 overall survival). These data suggest that the combination of high-dose steroids and defibrotide may be superior to defibrotide alone and warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a potentially fatal complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), there is paucity of research on the management of associated multiorgan dysfunction. To help provide standardized care for the management of these patients, the HCT Subgroup of the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators and the Supportive Care Committee of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium, collaborated to develop evidence-based consensus guidelines. After conducting an extensive literature search, in part 2 of this series we discuss the management of fluids and electrolytes, renal dysfunction; ascites, pleural effusion, and transfusion and coagulopathy issues in patients with VOD. We consider the available evidence using the GRADE criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to characterize the alteration in mineral grindability due to applying different types of explosives in the blasting operation. For this purpose, several experimental blastings have been carried out on some granite blocks using three kinds of explosives; ANFO, Emulite and Pentolite. Then the mechanical strength of the resulting fragments has been measured by point load index and P-wave velocity tests. In the next step, the performance of rock fragments in comminution processes was examined by conducting some crushing and grinding experiments. Results showed that the blasting process can reduce the Bond work index of fragments as much as 18% and enhances their crushability by 9.5%. Moreover, using different explosives brought about sensible changes in results, so that substituting ANFO with pentolite or emulite decreased the Bond index by 9.2% and 6.7% respectively, and increased the crushability index by 6.3% and 4.9% respectively. Besides, all results indicated that any increase in velocity of detonation (VOD) is followed by reduction of Bond work index and increase of milling throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive microwave observation at multiple frequencies has received increasing research interests due to its capability to provide comprehensive information of land surface properties. This paper contributes to the simulation of land surface emission and estimation of vegetation optical depth (VOD) at multiple frequencies using a discrete scattering model with a single set of model parameter values. Validity of the Tor Vergata (TVG) discrete scattering model in simultaneously reproducing the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) L-band (1.4 GHz) and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) C- (6.925 GHz) and X-band (10.7 GHz) observations over the Tibetan grassland ecosystem is evaluated. Frequency-specific and multi-frequency calibration strategies are implemented to find the suitable set of model parameter values and to isolate the impact of frequency on parameter values. On this basis, the calibrated TVG model is further used to estimate the VOD, and to investigate the impact of microwave frequency and observation angle on the emission simulations and VOD parameterization. The results show that both frequency-specific and multi-frequency calibration strategies achieve comparable and reasonable simulations of SMAP and AMSR2 observations, confirming the feasibility of using an identical physically-based model (i.e. the calibrated TVG model) to simulate multi-frequency land emission driven by a single set of model parameter values. As such, the dependence of emission components and VOD on frequency can be elaborated after isolating the impact of frequency on parameter values. The VOD values derived from the TVG simulations generally increase with increasing frequency and can be linearly correlated to the LAI variations, while current satellite-based retrievals have almost the same magnitude at the L-, C-, and X-band. The explanation for this can be that the retrieved VOD is different from the theoretical definition. Sensitivity test performed using the calibrated TVG model further shows that polarization-dependence of VOD becomes more apparent with the increasing observation angle and frequency. New parameterization has thus been developed to characterize the dependence of VOD on the frequency, observation angle, and polarization for grassland based on the results of sensitivity test. This study may provide new insights in improving model of land emission and retrievals of SM and VOD with physical interpretability based on multi-frequency satellite observations. • SMAP and AMSR2 observations are reproduced using a discrete scattering model. • Multi-frequency vegetation properties are estimated and correlated to LAI variations. • Impact of frequency and observation angle on emission simulations is investigated. • Dependence of VOD on frequency, angle and polarization is parameterized. • Satellite-based retrievals cannot reflect well the frequency-dependence of VOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a potentially fatal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Patients with VOD are often critically ill and require close collaboration between transplant physicians and intensivists. We surveyed members of a consortium of pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and transplant physicians to assess variability in the self-reported approach to the diagnosis and management of VOD. An internet-based self-administered survey was sent to pediatric HSCT and PICU providers from September 2014 to February 2015. The survey contained questions relating to the diagnosis and treatment of VOD. The response rate was 41% of 382 providers surveyed. We found significant variability in the diagnostic and management approaches to VOD in children. Even though ultrasound is not part of the diagnostic criteria, providers reported using reversal of portal venous flow seen on abdominal ultrasound in addition to Seattle criteria (70%) or Baltimore criteria to make the diagnosis of VOD. Almost 40% of respondents did not diagnose VOD in anicteric patients (bilirubin < 2 mg/dL) . Most providers (75%) initiated treatment with defibrotide at the time of diagnosis, but 14%, 7%, and 6% of the providers waited for reversal of portal venous flow, renal dysfunction, or pulmonary dysfunction, respectively, to develop before initiating therapy. Only 50% of the providers restricted fluids to 75% of the daily maintenance, whereas 21% did not restrict fluids at all. Albumin with diuretics was used by 95% of respondents. Platelets counts were maintained at 20,000 to 50,000/mm 3 and 10,000 to 20,000/mm 3 by 64% and 20% of the respondents, respectively. Paracentesis was generally initiated in the setting of oliguria or hypoxia, and nearly 50% of the providers used continuous drainage to gravity, whereas the remainder used an intermittent drainage approach. Nearly 73% of the transplant providers used VOD prophylaxis, whereas the remainder did not use any medications for VOD prophylaxis. There was also considerable variation in the management strategies among the transplant and critical care providers. We conclude that there is considerable self-reported variability in the diagnosis and management of VOD in children. The practice variations reported in this study should encourage the development of standard practice guidelines, which will be helpful in improving the outcome of this potentially fatal complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only proven curative option for patients with hemoglobinopathies, both thalassemia and sickle cell anemia (SCA). A busulfan-based myeloablative conditioning regimen is the standard of care for HSCT in these patients, although increased treatment-related morbidity, including veno-occlusive disease (VOD), has been demonstrated. Thirty-eight pediatric patients, median age 8 years (range, 6 months to 22 years), suffering from hemoglobinopathy were treated at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, between 1998 and 2011. Thirty-four patients had thalassemia major and 4 had SCA. The 38 patients underwent 40 HSCTs, 34 of which were first transplants and 6 second transplants. Most transplants (32/40) were from matched sibling donors. Sources of stem cells were peripheral blood in 30 transplants, bone marrow in 7 transplants, and cord blood in 3 transplants. All received different customized busulfan-based conditioning regimens tailored by pharmacokinetic analysis of busulfan levels. Primary engraftment occurred in 37 of 40 transplants. Neutrophil engraftment (>.5 × 10 9 /L) occurred at a median of 15.3 days post-transplantation (range, 10 to 45). Platelet transfusion independence (>20 × 10 9 /L) occurred at a median of 22.3 days (range, 11 to 60). The rate of 5-year overall survival for thalassemia patients after first transplantation was 90.5% ± 5.3%. The rate of 5-year thalassemia-free survival was 81.7% ± 6.8%. Cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 17.6%. Rate of grades III to IV GVHD was 8.8%. Cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was 23.5%, with 11.8% incidence of extensive chronic GVHD. One patient developed VOD. Full donor chimerism occurred in 36.4% of patients with class 1 + 2 thalassemia, compared with 78.6% in class 3 thalassemia ( P = .049). Overall survival above 90% in patients undergoing their first transplant was demonstrated using busulfan-based conditioning regimens. The low incidence of VOD was probably due to busulfan area under the curve measurements and dose adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable, noninvasive methods for diagnosing and prognosing sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) early after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are needed. We used a quantitative mass spectrometry–based proteomics approach to identify candidate biomarkers of SOS by comparing plasma pooled from 20 patients with and 20 patients without SOS. Of 494 proteins quantified, we selected 6 proteins (L-Ficolin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [VCAM1], tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, von Willebrand factor, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and CD97) based on a differential heavy/light isotope ratio of at least 2 fold, information from the literature, and immunoassay availability. Next, we evaluated the diagnostic potential of these 6 proteins and 5 selected from the literature (suppression of tumorigenicity-2 [ST2], angiopoietin-2 (ANG2), hyaluronic acid [HA], thrombomodulin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) in samples from 80 patients. The results demonstrate that together ST2, ANG2, L-Ficolin, HA, and VCAM1 compose a biomarker panel for diagnosis of SOS. L-Ficolin, HA, and VCAM1 also stratified patients at risk for SOS as early as the day of HCT. Prognostic Bayesian modeling for SOS onset based on L-Ficolin, HA, and VCAM1 levels on the day of HCT and clinical characteristics showed >80% correct prognosis of SOS onset. These biomarkers may provide opportunities for preemptive intervention to minimize SOS incidence and/or severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a recent and still evolving technology. It is used to deliver TV service through IP (Internet Protocol). It is a system, through which Internet television services are delivered using the architecture and networking methods of the Internet Protocol suite over a packet-switched network infrastructure. Example the Internet and broadband Internet access network instead of being delivered through traditional radio frequency broadcast, satellite signal and Cable Television (CATV) formats. It is a secure and reliable delivery to subscribers of entertainment audio, video and other related services. This may include the Live TV, Video on Demand (VoD) and Interactive TV. These services are delivered across packet switched network that employs the Internet protocol to transport the audio, video and control signals by uniquely identifying the IP address of all other components on the Internet. In contrast to video over the public Internet, with Internet Protocol Television deployment network security and performance are tightly managed to ensure a superior entertainment experience and resulting in a compelling business environment for content providers, customers and advertisers alike. The approach of this effort is to first develop IPTV software process, quality and IPTV SDK Website portal. In this paper new modules have been written to cover all the configuration, functionality, interoperability and integration. Many tools & technology were used to understand the Functional specification of IPTV in detail and understand the work flow to plan and write the module. The developed module will be integrated into the existing OLCS and will be made live so that every user throughout the globe can access it with ease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-band passive microwave remote sensing has evolved over the past decade to estimate soil moisture (SM) and Vegetation Optical Depth (VOD). Novel Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) schemes and model parameterizations are proposed to achieve this goal. In this work, we attempt to characterize errors and uncertainties that propagate from RTMs and their parameters while retrieving SM and VOD from Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) data. Three RTMs are considered, including a zeroth order model (τ-ω model) and two first order models (First order RTM and 2-Stream Emission model (2S-EM)). Surface roughness (h ; characterizes undulations on soil surface) and single scattering albedo (ω; accounts for the scattering of emissions due to vegetation structure) are the two parameters (of RTMs) considered. SM and VOD are retrieved concurrently using a multi-temporal RTM inversion scheme. Errors and uncertainty contributions are determined using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) approach. To assess the role of land cover conditions on error and uncertainties in retrievals, ten reference sites are chosen to represent various biomes. Initially, brightness temperatures are simulated by varying RTMs and their parameters to determine their sensitivity. The SM and VOD retrievals are compared with reference datasets, and the performance is found to be acceptable. Error decomposition analysis indicates RTMs and their parameters (h and ω) induce noticeable and significant error in SM and VOD retrievals. Errors contributions due to the above factors are more prominent in VOD retrievals compared to SM. However, the uncertainty contributions indicate minimal influence of RTMs and their parameters on SM retrievals. The ω parameter followed by the choice of RTM have significant contributions to the uncertainty in the VOD retrievals. The h parameter resulted in significant uncertainties in VOD retrievals under sparsely vegetated regions. The results are used to comment on the suitability of each of the three RTMs and the model parameterization design that could alleviate the issue of errors and uncertainties in concurrent retrievals of SM and VOD. These inferences shall contribute towards developing robust multi-parameter retrieval algorithms. • Study of errors/uncertainties from RTMs and parameters on SMAP SM & VOD retrievals • RTM parameters (h and ω) induced error with low uncertainty in SM retrievals • Surface roughness (h) caused error and uncertainty in VOD at sparsely vegetated regions • Single scattering albedo (ω) induced large error and uncertainty in VOD retrievals • Choice of RTM results in more errors and uncertainties in VOD than in SM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In industry, the total cost of ownership (TCO) for developing a communication service such as video streaming, comprises from two components; CAPital EXpenditure (CAPEX) and OPerational EXpenditure (OPEX). These two types of costs are interrelated and affect any service provider’s deployment strategy. In many traditional methods, selection of critical elements of a new service is performed in a heuristic manner aimed at reducing only the OPEX part of the TCO which is not necessarily optimal. Furthermore, exact cost modeling for such services is not always possible and contains some uncertainties. In the current work, the TCO optimization problem for video streaming over IP networks is formulated as a stochastic optimization problem using cost modeling of each video streaming element and capturing the effect of the model uncertainties. The solution of the proposed optimization problem can cope with the cost modeling uncertainties and track the dynamic features of the TCO and lead to a time-varying optimal solution. Numerical analysis results verify the developed method and analyze its sensitivity to input parameters variations. Using the proposed stochastic optimization approach, the video streaming service providers can improve their return on investment (ROI) through selecting the optimal number of the deployed edge servers in the presence of uncertainties in ownership costs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver is a well-recognized serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), with few successful treatment modalities available for severe disease. Some reports have demonstrated success in adults with the use of high-dose steroid therapy, but experience in the pediatric population is lacking. We retrospectively reviewed HSCT patients treated at our institution since 2003 and identified 15 (2.4%) who developed VOD. Of these, nine (60%) were treated with intravenous high-dose methylprednisolone (500 mg/m2 per dose every 12 hours for six doses). Steroid therapy was initiated at or before first ultrasound evidence of reversal of portal venous flow and before meeting criteria for initiation of defibrotide therapy. Four patients were also treated with defibrotide starting 2 to 5 days after initiation of steroids. Eight of nine patients (88%) with VOD were diagnosed with multiorgan failure. Response to high-dose steroid therapy as defined by decrease in bilirubin by 50% in 10 days from therapy initiation was noted in six of nine patients (67%), occurring within 3 to 6 days of steroid therapy. Two patients died from multiorgan failure due to VOD. Seven survivors of VOD recovered at the median 6 days (range, 5 to 38) from VOD diagnosis. Overall, VOD survival as a group was 78%; however, survival among responders was 100%. No serious toxicities related to high-dose steroid therapy were observed. We conclude that high-dose steroid therapy if initiated early may reverse VOD of the liver in pediatric HSCT patients, abrogating the need for defibrotide therapy with its associated toxicities and regulatory difficulties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thrombotic complications are common in stem cell transplantation (SCT) recipients and endothelial cell injury is a dominant contributing factor to the hemostatic impairments. Endothelial cells line the vascular bed and each vascular bed has a unique structural and functional properties. Therefore, understanding of these properties may hold important clues to site-specific diagnostics and therapeutics. The two most common thrombotic manifestations related to SCT, veno-occlusive disease (VOD) and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), are characterized by small vessel thrombosis in the microcirculation. In diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH), although the clinical presentation is hemorrhagic, autopsy findings and mice experiments imply a thrombotic etiology. In the present review, the pathogenesis and treatment options of these three microcirculation thromboses are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The start of season (SOS) phenological metric indicates the seasonal onset of vegetation activity, including canopy growth, photosynthesis and associated increases in land–atmosphere water, energy and carbon (CO2) exchanges influencing weather and climate variability. Satellite optical-infrared (IR) remote sensing is responsive to vegetation greenness and SOS, but measurement accuracy and global monitoring are constrained by atmosphere cloud/aerosol contamination and seasonal decreases in solar illumination for many areas. The vegetation optical depth (VOD) parameter from satellite passive microwave remote sensing provides an alternative means for global phenology monitoring that is sensitive to vegetation canopy biomass and water content, and insensitive to atmosphere and solar illumination constraints. A global VOD record from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) was used to estimate North America SOS patterns and annual variability at the ecoregion scale. The SOS metrics were derived for a four year (2004–2007) record using TIMESAT and AMSR-E 10.7GHz frequency VOD retrievals composited to 4-day median time series. The VOD SOS corresponded favorably with MODIS-for-NACP NDVI (0.73

Abstract: Farmers access to information is more than the government propaganda way, television news and wireless radio, although can obtain a lot of information, but the transmission way limited, and there are disadvantages, such as pertinence, so need through a more efficient, more convenient and is more specific ways to provide information service for the farmers. This paper provides an embedded equipment of VOD broadcast system for hd video, meet people''s needs, emphasizing the VOD programs based on P2P network research embedded video VOD system under Linux. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: AVS1-P2 is a recently completed video compression standard developed by the Audio and Video Coding Standard (AVS) Workgroup of China. The standard promises comparable compression efficiency to the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video codec with lower implementation complexity and royalty fees. AVS1-P2 is the Chinese next generation national video coding standard with an increasing amount of industrial importance as it is being required for different applications and services. It is expected that AVS1-P2 will be prominent in emerging Chinese digital video application markets, especially for personal video recorder (PVR) and video on demand (VOD). This paper discusses how trick modes for PVR and VOD can be performed with AVS1-P2 content. It begins with generating an index table to facilitate AVS1-P2 trick modes followed by a discussion of basic and advanced trick modes. Next, the minimum decoder speed and display frame buffer requirements are analyzed for smooth trick play, especially for 1× rewind. VOD stream delivery strategies for various trick modes and transitions are then discussed. Finally, an overview of other topics that may affect implementation such as content protection and encoding is provided. Many of the discussions are also applicable to other video coding standards like MPEG-2, H.264/AVC, etc. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For Video-On-Demand (VOD) systems, it is important to provide Quality of Service (QoS) to more clients under limited resources. In this paper, the performance scalability in cluster-based VOD servers is studied with several grouping configurations of cluster nodes. To find performance bottlenecks, the monitoring functions are employed and the maximum QoS streams are measured under the various requests including VCR functions. To support more user friendly interface, an embedded set-top model is suggested for the QoS of TV clients. From our detailed experiment results, a new admission control method is proposed that is based on available system resources and the actual amount of resource consumed for QoS streams. The proposed method provides not only more scalable QoS in cluster-based VOD servers but also the enhancement of resource utilization by guaranteeing the maximum number of QoS streams. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vegetation optical depth (VOD), as a microwave-based vegetation index for vegetation water and biomass content, is increasingly used to study the impact of global climate and environmental changes on vegetation. Currently, VOD is mainly retrieved from passive microwave data and few studies focused on VOD retrievals from active microwave data. The Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) provides long-term C-band backscatter data at Vertical-Vertical (VV) polarization. In this study, a new ASCAT INRAE Bordeaux (IB) VOD (hereafter, IB VOD), was developed based on the Water Cloud Model (WCM) coupled with the Ulaby linear model for soil backscattering. The main features of IB VOD are that (i) the ERA5-Land soil moisture (SM) dataset was used as an auxiliary SM dataset in the retrievals, (ii) pixel-based soil model parameters were mapped using Random Forest (RF), and (iii) the vegetation model parameter was calibrated for each day. The IB VOD product was retrieved over Africa during 2015–2019, and its performances were evaluated in space and time by comparing with aboveground biomass (AGB), lidar tree height (TH), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and leaf area index (LAI). Results were inter-compared with three other VOD products at the same frequency. In terms of spatial correlation with AGB (R = 0.92) and TH (R = 0.89), IB VOD outperforms the other VOD products, suggesting IB VOD has a strong ability to capture spatial patterns of AGB and TH. By comparing all VOD products against NDVI, EVI and LAI, we found that the highest temporal correlation with NDVI (EVI, LAI) was obtained with IB VOD over 29.94% (36.65%, 30.19%) of the study region. Considering all three vegetations indices, highest temporal correlation values with IB VOD could be particularly noted for deciduous broadleaf forests, woody savannas and savannas. • A new active VOD (IB VOD) retrieved from ASCAT is proposed. • Pixel-based soil model parameters were mapped using Random Forest (RF). • Daily variations in the vegetation model parameter are calibrated. • ASCAT IB VOD is compared to other C-band VOD products in Africa during 2015–2019. • ASCAT IB VOD performs well for predicting biomass and tree height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial article aims to introduce the virtual special issue (VSI) on the past, present, and future of OTT and live streaming services. This article provides the OTT research trends of the last six and a half years through a word cloud of the keywords of the 262 articles, the keyword network, as well as the coauthor network of the articles. After summarizing the overall research trends, we provide a quick review of the seven articles accepted for the VSI, followed by concluding remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver is a well-described and significant complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), with limited successful therapeutic options in severe cases. Prompt diagnosis and initiation of treatment is crucial to restrict the extent of disease. However, a subset of patients may not meet all current diagnostic criteria at presentation, and waiting for these to be met may delay therapy. We retrospectively reviewed 794 HSCT patients treated at our institution between 2003 and 2013, identifying 17 (2.1%) who developed VOD. Of these, 5 (29%) were noted to have an absence of elevated bilirubin at the time of VOD diagnosis and reversal of portal venous flow on ultrasound. Median total and conjugated bilirubin at VOD diagnosis were 1.0 and 0.2 mg/dL, respectively. All 5 patients were subsequently diagnosed with multiorgan failure associated with VOD, including 1 with encephalopathy. Four were treated with intravenous high-dose methylprednisolone (500 mg/m 2 per dose every 12 hours for 6 doses). One patient received defibrotide therapy in addition to steroids and another supportive care alone. VOD resolved in 4 of 5 patients, with median time to resolution of VOD, defined as recovery of all organ function and normalization of bilirubin and portal venous flow, of 8 days. Two patients died later from progressive primary disease and chronic graft-versus-host disease, respectively. We conclude that a high index of suspicion for VOD should be maintained in patients despite lack of bilirubin elevation in the presence of other diagnostic criteria such as hepatomegaly, abdominal pain, ascites, or weight gain. Early ultrasound evaluation in these patients may lead to more timely diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the economic, technological and cultural implications of Netflix in Thailand on local content industries and regulators. It also explores industry and regulatory responses to Netflix's emergence in a small market like Thailand. The study finds Netflix has markedly affected the industries' value chain but with contrasting impacts for broadcasting and film. Broadcasters have migrated online either by establishing their own platforms or by repositioning themselves as content providers for international streaming players in addition to acquiring business deals with other OTTs or broadcasters in regional markets. For film, a window of opportunity has been created by Netflix for small and independent filmmakers wishing to bypass the long-standing monopoly in the Thai film industry. Meanwhile, the country's regulator has looked for ways to bring foreign OTTs like Netflix under its oversight and may adopt a reward-based scheme while promoting local content industry with capacity-building and promotional measures. • Netflix has caused major Thai broadcasters to migrate online and to diversify as content providers to regional markets. • Netflix has emerged as an important display alternative for filmmakers wishing to bypass monopoly in Thai film industry. • Thai communication regulator looks into light-touch and reward-based approach to incorporate OTTs into its regulatory scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation optical depth (VOD) is a remotely sensed indicator characterizing the attenuation of the Earth's thermal emission at microwave wavelengths by the vegetation layer. At L-band, VOD is used to estimate the global biomass, a key component of the Earth's surface and of the carbon cycle. This study focuses on the behaviour of L-band VOD (L-VOD) retrieval algorithm over seasonally inundated areas, as some previous observations have shown an unexpected decline in VOD during flooding events. To analyse such variations, a passive microwave model was used to simulate the signal emitted by a mixed scene composed of soil and standing water. The retrieval over this inundated scene led to an overestimation of soil moisture (SM) and an underestimation of L-VOD. The phenomenon is more pronounced over grasslands than over forests, since low vegetation is mostly submerged under water and becomes invisible to the sensor; and since more standing water is visible to the sensor. The estimated L-VOD is typically reduced by ~10% over flooded forests and up to 100% over flooded grasslands. Such effects can distort the analysis of aboveground biomass (AGB) and aboveground carbon (AGC) dynamics based on L-VOD estimates. We evaluated that AGB can be underestimated by 15/20 Mg ha−1 in the largest seasonal wetlands, which can represent more than 50% of the actual AGB of these fields, and up to higher values during exceptional meteorological years. Consequently, to better estimate the global biomass, surface water seasonality has to be taken into account in passive microwave retrieval algorithms. [Display omitted] • Dynamic water extent is generally not considered in passive microwave algorithms. • They can impact significantly the retrieved Vegetation Optical Depth (VOD) values. • The VOD and derived AGB values are underestimated during floods. • This error is due to the low brightness temperatures of the surface water introduced. • Retrieval algorithms of passive microwave biomass estimates need to be corrected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and ESA's Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) carry satellite L-band radiometers whose primary missions are to measure soil moisture. However, they also allow retrieving of vegetation optical depth (VOD), the degree to which vegetation attenuates microwave radiation. Because attenuation is primarily a function of the total amount of liquid water in a vegetation canopy that is contained within vegetation tissue, VOD could be used to monitor seasonal changes in this quantity, which we call crop water, in major agricultural regions such as the US Corn Belt. There are two main advantages of L-band VOD: it observes the entire canopy volume because soil moisture sensitivity is maintained throughout the growing season; and since it is unaffected by cloud cover there are close to daily measurements. To show its value, we compare SMAP and SMOS VOD to satellite-scale estimates of crop productivity created using the Agricultural Integrated BIosphere Simulator (Agro-IBIS) and observed weather at the South Fork SMAP Core Validation Site in the Corn Belt state of Iowa. We find that SMAP and SMOS VOD are directly proportional to crop water. New empirical models that relate crop water to crop dry mass were required to make this finding. We created these models with in situ data spanning multiple years and stages of crop development. The value of the proportionality constant (or " b -parameter") relating VOD to crop water at the satellite scale is about half as large as previous estimates. Because L-band VOD is directly proportional to crop water at the satellite scale, and because we understand the relationship between crop water and crop dry mass, SMAP and SMOS have the potential to evaluate the large-scale performance of crop models in the Corn Belt on a near daily basis. • We created an empirical model that relates crop water to crop dry mass. • Found that Agro-IBIS simulations are directly proportional to SMAP and SMOS VOD. • SMAP and SMOS could monitor regional changes in crop water in US Corn Belt. • First time value of b -parameter has been directly determined at satellite scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]