Predicting Intermediate Storage Performance for Workflow Applications

Configuring a storage system to better serve an application is a challenging task complicated by a multidimensional, discrete configuration space and the high cost of space exploration (e.g., by running the application with different storage configurations). To enable selecting the best configuration in a reasonable time, we design an end-to-end performance prediction mechanism that estimates the turn-around time of an application using storage system under a given configuration. This approach focuses on a generic object-based storage system design, supports exploring the impact of optimizations targeting workflow applications (e.g., various data placement schemes) in addition to other, more traditional, configuration knobs (e.g., stripe size or replication level), and models the system operation at data-chunk and control message level. This paper presents our experience to date with designing and using this prediction mechanism. We evaluate this mechanism using micro- as well as synthetic benchmarks mimicking real workflow applications, and a real application.. A preliminary evaluation shows that we are on a good track to meet our objectives: it can scale to model a workflow application run on an entire cluster while offering an over 200x speedup factor (normalized by resource) compared to running the actual application, and can achieve, in the limited number of scenarios we study, a prediction accuracy that enables identifying the best storage system configuration

Thrombus aspiration in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: results of a national registry of interventional cardiology.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the impact of thrombus aspiration (TA) during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (P-PCI) in 'real-world' settings. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study, using data from the National Registry of Interventional Cardiology (RNCI 2006-2012, Portugal) with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with P-PCI. The primary outcome, in-hospital mortality, was analysed through adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: We assessed data for 9458 STEMI patients that undergone P-PCI (35% treated with TA). The risk of in-hospital mortality with TA (aOR 0.93, 95%CI:0.54-1.60) was not significantly decreased. After matching patients through the propensity score, TA reduced significantly the risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.58, 95%CI:0.35-0.98; 3500 patients). CONCLUSIONS: The whole cohort data does not support the routine use of TA in P-PCI, but the results of the propensity-score matched cohort suggests that the use of selective TA may improve the short-term risks of STEMI.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EVALUATING THE OCCURRENCE AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES 226Ra, 228Ra, 222Rn AND 238U IN THE GROUNDWATERS OF REGIÃO DOS LAGOS - RJ BRAZIL

Um levantamento da concentração de isótopos radioativos naturais nas águas subterrâneas da Região dos Lagos, estado do Rio de Janeiro-Brasil, foi realizado com a finalidade de verificar os níveis naturais de radioisótopos nas águas subterrâneas, identificar os principais fatores que influenciam as suas concentrações e, numa avaliação preliminar, estimar os níveis de ingestão destes isótopos pela população adulta da região. Os valores de concentração dos íons maiores nas águas variaram substancialmente, mostrando a influência da água do mar na composição das águas subterrâneas. Valores muito baixos de pH foram encontrados em uma específica área da região de estudo e a análise estatística enfatizou a forte influência das altas concentrações de íon hidrogênio nas altas concentrações de rádio encontradas. Baixas concentrações de radônio foram verificadas e são imputadas ao escape do gás diretamente dos poços de abastecimento. As concentrações de urânio em todas as amostras analisadas foram inferiores aos valores permissíveis. Das setenta e cinco amostras de água coletadas na região, dezessete tinham níveis de isótopos de rádio (Ra-226 e Ra- 228) superiores aos níveis de radioatividade estabelecidos pelo Ministério Brasileiro de Saúde para água potável (0,1 Bq/l para alfa e 1 Bq/l para beta), sendo necessário avaliar o risco potencial para a saúde da população em decorrência da exposição a estes radioisótopos nas águas de abastecimento. ABSTRACT A survey of radionuclide concentrations in ground waters of Região dos Lagos, the Lake's Region - Rio de Janeiro State-Brazil, was performed in order to verify the natural levels of radionuclides in the groundwater, to identify main factors influencing the radioisotope concentration and in a first approach to estimate natural radionuclide ingestion levels by the adult inhabitants. The concentration values of the major ion concentrations varied widely, showing the seawater influence over the groundwaters. Unusual low pH values were found in a specific region and the statistical analysis stressed its strong influence on the high radium concentrations. Probably the high Ra concentrations in the waters are due to Ra leaching from rock matrix, which is incited by the low pH. Generally low concentrations of radon found even in samples with high radium concentrations were a consequence of radon de-gassing. The concentrations of uranium were lower than maximum allowable limit for all samples. Seventeen of the eighty-eight water samples collected in the region had levels of naturally occurring radium that exceeded the maximum allowable values recommended by Brazilian Health Minister for drinking water, being necessary to assess the potential risks for the population from the exposure to these radionuclides in the waters

Metastatic small bowel occlusion as initial presentation of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Small molecule inhibiting microglial nitric oxide release could become a potential treatment for neuroinflammation

Microglia are the immune effector cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and react to pathologic events with a complex process including the release of nitric oxide (NO). NO is a free radical, which is toxic for all cells at high concentrations. To target an exaggerated NO release, we tested a library of 16 544 chemical compounds for their effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO release in cell line and primary neonatal microglia. We identified a compound (C1) which significantly reduced NO release in a dose-dependent manner, with a low IC50 (252 nM) and no toxic side effects in vitro or in vivo. Target finding strategies such as in silico modelling and mass spectroscopy hint towards a direct interaction between C1 and the nitric oxide synthase making C1 a great candidate for specific intra-cellular interaction with the NO producing machinery

A regulation-based classification system for marine protected areas: A response to Dudley et al. [9]

Dudley et al. [9] commented on our paper [11], arguing that the current IUCN objective-based categorization of protected areas, which is also used in marine protected areas (MPAs), should not be abandoned and replaced by the new regulation-based classification system [11]. Here we clarify that we do not advocate replacing the current IUCN categories, but highlight the benefits of using both the objective-based IUCN categories and the new regulation-based classification when applied to MPAs. With an increasing number of MPA types being implemented, most of them multiple-use areas zoned for various purposes, assessing ecological and socio-economic benefits is key for advancing conservation targets and policy objectives. Although the IUCN categories can be used both in terrestrial and marine systems, they were not designed to follow a gradient of impacts and there is often a mismatch between stated objectives and implemented regulations. The new regulation-based classification system addresses these problems by linking impacts of activities in marine systems with MPA and zone classes in a simple and globally applicable way. Applying both the IUCN categories and the regulation based classes will increase transparency when assessing marine conservation goals.ERA-Net BiodivERsA project "BUFFER Partially protected areas as buffers to increase the linked social ecological resilience"; national funders ANR (France); FCT (Portugal); FOR-MAS (Sweden); SEPA (Sweden); RCN (Norway); project BUFFER; Fernand Braudel IFER fellowship (Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme); Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) [UID/MAR/04292/2013

The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry: Development, Features, and Data Sharing Policies

The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry (Registo de Asma Grave Portugal, RAG) was developed by an open collaborative network of asthma specialists. RAG collects data from adults and pediatric severe asthma patients that despite treatment optimization and adequate management of comorbidities require step 4/5 treatment according to GINA recommendations. In this paper, we describe the development and implementation of RAG, its features, and data sharing policies. The contents and structure of RAG were defined in a multistep consensus process. A pilot version was pretested and iteratively improved. The selection of data elements for RAG considered other severe asthma registries, aiming at characterizing the patient's clinical status whilst avoiding overloading the standard workflow of the clinical appointment. Features of RAG include automatic assessment of eligibility, easy data input, and exportable data in natural language that can be pasted directly in patients' electronic health record and security features to enable data sharing (among researchers and with other international databases) without compromising patients' confidentiality. RAG is a national web-based disease registry of severe asthma patients, available at asmagrave.pt. It allows prospective clinical data collection, promotes standardized care and collaborative clinical research, and may contribute to inform evidence-based healthcare policies for severe asthma.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Consequences of local social norms: A review of the literature in accounting, finance, and corporate governance

We synthesise the empirical archival research on the consequences of local social norms on accounting, finance, and corporate governance outcomes in an international setting. The literature reviewed is premised on the theory that corporations do not make decisions, but managers do, and managers are likely to be influenced by the socioeconomic environment of the region in which they operate and/or by the people with whom they interact. To provide a structure to our review, we identify social capital, religiosity, gambling norms, and corruption culture, as four constructs of local social norms and link these with financial reporting and external auditing, financial, investment, and dividend decisions, capital market consequences and finally, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility behaviour of firms. We highlight some limitations of the existing research and offer some suggestions for future research