Garbage collection auto-tuning for Java MapReduce on Multi-Cores

MapReduce has been widely accepted as a simple programming pattern that can form the basis for efficient, large-scale, distributed data processing. The success of the MapReduce pattern has led to a variety of implementations for different computational scenarios. In this paper we present MRJ, a MapReduce Java framework for multi-core architectures. We evaluate its scalability on a four-core, hyperthreaded Intel Core i7 processor, using a set of standard MapReduce benchmarks. We investigate the significant impact that Java runtime garbage collection has on the performance and scalability of MRJ. We propose the use of memory management auto-tuning techniques based on machine learning. With our auto-tuning approach, we are able to achieve MRJ performance within 10% of optimal on 75% of our benchmark tests

Susceptibilidad a antibióticos en cepas de Pseudomonas aeruginosa aisladas de canes con otitis externa

The purpose of this study was to determine susceptibility to antibiotics in strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from dogs with external otitis in Callao, Perú. Twenty strains were tested for their susceptibility to 11 antibiotics by the disk diffusion method. The aminoglycosides presented the best sensitivity (94.4%). Multiresistance was registered in 70%. Mongrel breed were the most affected (50%). The aminoglycosides and then the fluoroquinolones remain as treatment options.El propósito de este estudio fue determinar la susceptibilidad a los antibióticos en cepas de P.aeruginosa aisladas de canes con otitis externa en Callao, Perú. Veinte cepas fueron probadasen su susceptibilidad a 11 antibióticos mediante el método de disco difusión. Los aminoglucósidos presentaron la mejor sensibilidad (94,4%). La multirresistencia se observó en un 70%. Los animales de raza definida fueron los más afectados (50%). Los aminoglucósidos yseguidamente las fluoroquinolonas se mantienen como opciones de tratamiento

Dissolution Stability study of Cefadroxil extemporaneous suspensions

Dissolution studies have become matter of great significance because, in most cases, drug dissolution is the rate-limiting step in the absorption process. As occurs with solid oral dosage forms, heterogeneous disperse systems (suspensions) could also have some problems with their in vitro dissolution. The dissolution behavior of four different brands of cefadroxil extemporaneous suspensions available in the Argentinian market was evaluated. The deliverable volume, pH, visual appearance, uniformity of dosage units, and assay were also studied. Powders for oral suspension were stored under different aging conditions. Samples at room temperature and refrigerated conditions were taken at several time points to carry out the dissolution stability study during the expiration period of the reconstituted form. Marked differences were recorded with respect to in vitro dissolution behavior between the different products under evaluation.Fil: González Vidal, Noelia Luján. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Cátedra de Control de Calidad de Medicamentos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Cátedra de Control de Calidad de Medicamentos; ArgentinaFil: Zubata, P. D.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica; ArgentinaFil: Simionato, Laura Daniela. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Cátedra de Control de Calidad de Medicamentos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica; ArgentinaFil: Pizzorno, Maria Teresa. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Tecnología Farmacéutica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Cátedra de Control de Calidad de Medicamentos; Argentin

Variedades de feijão e seus efeitos na qualidade protéica, na glicemia e nos lipídios sangüíneos em ratos.

O feijão representa importante fonte de proteína e pode auxiliar na modulação dos níveis de glicose e lipídios sangüíneos. Objetivou-se avaliar o valor protéico e funcional de variedades de feijão. Para a qualidade protéica foram usados 7 grupos (n = 6) de ratos recém desmamados: um recebeu dieta aprotéica por 14 dias e os demais, dietas contendo 9-10% de proteína como caseína ou como um dos feijões (Ouro Branco, Pérola, BRS Radiante, Diamante Negro e Talismã). No segundo experimento, 4 grupos (n = 10) de ratos adultos receberam dietas de caseína, Ouro Branco, Diamante Negro e Talismã por 28 dias. Ouro Branco apresentou maior Coeficiente de Eficiência Protéica (PERr = 61,18%) do que os demais e o BRS Radiante o menor (PERr = 44,60%). Quanto à Razão Protéica Líquida (NPR) e à digestibilidade, não houve diferença (p > 0,05) entre os grupos, variando de 67,05 a 78,19% e de 78,70 a 84,88%, respectivamente. As dietas de Diamante Negro e Talismã promoveram redução da glicemia de 30 e 26%, respectivamente, em relação à caseína, não sendo, porém, significativa; não houve diferença (p > 0,05) entre os grupos quanto aos níveis séricos de colesterol e triacilgliceróis. Assim, de acordo com as necessidades apresentadas pelas populações, suas demandas nutricionais e funcionais podem ser supridas por diferentes feijões

An on-engine method for dynamic characterisation of NOx concentration sensors

An on-engine method for dynamic characterisation of automotive NOx concentration sensors is presented. Steps in start of injection on a diesel engine are employed to achieve step-like NOx concentration variations on exhaust flow. On the basis of the sensor response, delay and dynamic response can be easily identified; the paper shows a simple least squares procedure although other models and identification techniques could be used. Application data is presented for three NOx sensors: a research-grade chemiluminescence exhaust gas analyser, and two different commercial ZrO2-based sensors. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.The authors thanks R. Lujan and G. Couture for their valuable contribution in the experimental part of the present work. This work has been partially supported by Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia through Project PLANUCO No. TRA2006-15620-C02-02.Galindo, J.; Serrano Cruz, JR.; Guardiola, C.; Blanco-Rodriguez, D.; Cuadrado, I. (2011). An on-engine method for dynamic characterisation of NOx concentration sensors. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science. 35(3):470-476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2010.11.010S47047635

Evolution and Adaptation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms Driven by Mismatch Repair System-Deficient Mutators

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen causing chronic airway infections, especially in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The majority of the CF patients acquire P. aeruginosa during early childhood, and most of them develop chronic infections resulting in severe lung disease, which are rarely eradicated despite intensive antibiotic therapy. Current knowledge indicates that three major adaptive strategies, biofilm development, phenotypic diversification, and mutator phenotypes [driven by a defective mismatch repair system (MRS)], play important roles in P. aeruginosa chronic infections, but the relationship between these strategies is still poorly understood. We have used the flow-cell biofilm model system to investigate the impact of the mutS associated mutator phenotype on development, dynamics, diversification and adaptation of P. aeruginosa biofilms. Through competition experiments we demonstrate for the first time that P. aeruginosa MRS-deficient mutators had enhanced adaptability over wild-type strains when grown in structured biofilms but not as planktonic cells. This advantage was associated with enhanced micro-colony development and increased rates of phenotypic diversification, evidenced by biofilm architecture features and by a wider range and proportion of morphotypic colony variants, respectively. Additionally, morphotypic variants generated in mutator biofilms showed increased competitiveness, providing further evidence for mutator-driven adaptive evolution in the biofilm mode of growth. This work helps to understand the basis for the specific high proportion and role of mutators in chronic infections, where P. aeruginosa develops in biofilm communities

The kinematics of the quadrupolar nebula M1-75 and the identification of its central star

The link between the shaping of bipolar planetary nebulae and their central stars is still poorly understood. The kinematics and shaping of the multipolar nebula M 1-75 are hereby investigated, and the location and nature of its central star are briefly discussed. Fabry-Perot data from GHaFAS on the WHT sampling the Doppler shift of the [N II] 658.3 nm line are used to study the dynamics of the nebula, by means of a detailed 3-D spatio-kinematical model. Multi-wavelength images and spectra from the WFC and IDS on the INT, and from ACAM on the WHT, allowed us to constrain the parameters of the central star. The two pairs of lobes, angularly separated by ~22 degrees, were ejected simultaneously approx. ~3500-5000 years ago, at the adopted distance range from 3.5 to 5.0 kpc. The larger lobes show evidence of a slight degree of point symmetry. The shaping of the nebula could be explained by wind interaction in a system consisting of a post-AGB star surrounded by a disc warped by radiative instabilities. This requires the system to be a close binary or a single star which engulfed a planet as it died. On the other hand, we present broad- and narrow-band images and a low S/N optical spectrum of the highly-reddened, previously unnoticed star which is likely the nebular progenitor. Its estimated V-I colour allows us to derive a rough estimate of the parameters and nature of the central star.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

The central structure of Broad Absorption Line QSOs: observational characteristics in the cm-mm wavelength domain

Accounting for ~20% of the total QSO population, Broad Absorption Line QSOs are still an unsolved problem in the AGN context. They present wide troughs in the UV spectrum, due to material with velocities up to 0.2 c toward the observer. The two models proposed in literature try to explain them as a particular phase of the evolution of QSOs or as normal QSOs, but seen from a particular line of sight. We built a statistically complete sample of Radio-Loud BAL QSOs, and carried out an observing campaign to piece together the whole spectrum in the cm wavelength domain, and highlight all the possible differences with respect to a comparison sample of Radio-Loud non-BAL QSOs. VLBI observations at high angular resolution have been performed, to study the pc-scale morphology of these objects. Finally, we tried to detect a possible dust component with observations at mm-wavelengths. Results do not seem to indicate a young age for all BAL QSOs. Instead a variety of orientations and morphologies have been found, constraining the outflows foreseen by the orientation model to have different possible angles with respect to the jet axis

Benzidine staining: method to detect neutrophils in whole saliva of patients with renal disease

Benzidine staining allows for the quantification of peroxidise positive polymorphonuclear leukocytes in whole saliva from patients with renal disease. This is a practical tool for monitoring oral health in this high risk population.Fil: Cardoso, Estela M. del Luján. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Odontología; ArgentinaFil: Arregger, Alejandro Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Budd, D.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Elverdín, Juan Carlos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Odontología; ArgentinaFil: Tumilasci, G.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Odontología; ArgentinaFil: Contreras, Liliana Noemí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Odontología; Argentin

Whole transcriptome approach to evaluate the effect of aluminium hydroxide in ovine encephalon

Aluminium hydroxide adjuvants are crucial for livestock and human vaccines. Few studies have analysed their effect on the central nervous system in vivo. In this work, lambs received three different treatments of parallel subcutaneous inoculations during 16 months with aluminium-containing commercial vaccines, an equivalent dose of aluminium hydroxide or mock injections. Brain samples were sequenced by RNA-seq and miRNA-seq for the expression analysis of mRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and microRNAs and three expression comparisons were made. Although few differentially expressed genes were identified, some dysregulated genes by aluminium hydroxide alone were linked to neurological functions, the lncRNA TUNA among them, or were enriched in mitochondrial energy metabolism related functions. In the same way, the miRNA expression was mainly disrupted by the adjuvant alone treatment. Some differentially expressed miRNAs had been previously linked to neurological diseases, oxidative stress and apoptosis. In brief, in this study aluminium hydroxide alone altered the transcriptome of the encephalon to a higher degree than commercial vaccines that present a milder effect. The expression changes in the animals inoculated with aluminium hydroxide suggest mitochondrial disfunction. Further research is needed to elucidate to which extent these changes could have pathological consequences