A Java Distributed Computation Library

This paper describes the design and development of a Java Distributed Computation Library, which provides a simple development platform for developers who wish to quickly implement a distributed computation in the context of an SPMD architecture (Single Program, Multiple Data). The need for this research arose out of the realisation that the currently available distributed computation libraries and systems do not adequately meet certain criteria, such as ease of development, dynamic changes to system behaviour, and easy deployment of distributed software. The proposed solution to this problem was to produce a Java-based distributed computation library which enables developers to use the Java language to quickly and easily implement a distributed computation. The results of experiments conducted using DCL are also presented, as a means of showing that DCL met its design goals

No association between variation in the NR4A1 gene locus and metabolic traits in white subjects at increased risk for type 2 diabetes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The nuclear receptor NR4A1 is implicated in metabolic regulation in insulin-sensitive tissues, such as liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. Functional loss of NR4A1 results in insulin resistance and enhanced intramuscular and hepatic lipid content. Therefore, we investigated in a cohort of white European subjects at increased risk for type 2 diabetes whether genetic variation within the <it>NR4A1 </it>gene locus contributes to prediabetic phenotypes, such as insulin resistance, ectopic fat distribution, or β-cell dysfunction.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped 1495 subjects (989 women, 506 men) for five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tagging 100% of common variants (MAF = 0.05) within the <it>NR4A1 </it>gene locus with an r²= 0.8. All subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), a subset additionally had a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (n = 506). Ectopic hepatic (n = 296) and intramyocellular (n = 264) lipids were determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Peak aerobic capacity, a surrogate parameter for oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle, was measured by an incremental exercise test on a motorized treadmill (n = 270).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After appropriate adjustment and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, none of the five SNPs was reliably associated with insulin sensitivity, ectopic fat distribution, peak aerobic capacity, or indices of insulin secretion (all p ≥ 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data suggest that common genetic variation within the <it>NR4A1 </it>gene locus may not play a major role in the development of prediabetic phenotypes in our white European population.</p

Нанесение антифрикционных покрытий порошком Б-83 методом холодного газодинамического напыления

Работа направлена на развитие технологии холодного газодинамического напыления антифрикционного покрытия порошком Б-83 на подшипники скольжения судовые. Как альтернатива традиционному методу баббитозаливки судовых подшипников скольжения.The work is aimed at the development of technology of cold gas-dynamic spraying of antifriction coating with powder B-83 on ship bearings. As an alternative to the traditional method of babiogorski marine bearings

Awareness and perception of multidrug-resistant organisms and antimicrobial therapy among internists vs. surgeons of different specialties: Results from the German MR2 Survey

Background: Recently, antibiotic resistance rates have risen substantially and care for patients infected with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) has become a common problem in most in &#8211; and outpatient settings. The objectives of the study were to compare the awareness, perception, and knowledge of MDRO and rational antibiotic use between physicians from different medical specialties in German hospitals. Methods: A 35-item questionnaire was sent to specialists in internal medicine (internists), gynecologists, urologists, and general surgeons (non-internists) in 18 German hospitals. Likert-scales were used to evaluate awareness and perception of personal performance regarding care for patients infected with MDRO and rational use of antibiotics. Additionally, two items assessing specific knowledge in antibiotic therapy were included. The impact of medical specialty on four predetermined endpoints was assessed by multivariate logistic regression. Results: 43.0 (456/1061) of recipients responded. Both internists and non-internists had low rates of training in antibiotic stewardship. 50.8 of internists and 58.6 of non-internists had attended special training in rational antibiotic use or care for patients infected with MDRO in the 12 months prior to the study. Internists deemed themselves more confidently to choose the indications for screening patients for colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (P=0.004) and to initiate adequate infection control measures (P=0.002) than other specialties. However, there was no significant difference between internists and other specialists regarding the two items assessing specific knowledge in antibiotic therapy and infection control. Conclusion: Among the study participants, a considerable need for advanced training in the study subjects was seen, regardless of the medical specialty

Metabolite ratios as potential biomarkers for type 2 diabetes:a DIRECT study

Aims/hypothesis Circulating metabolites have been shown to reflect metabolic changes during the development of type 2 diabetes. In this study we examined the association of metabolite levels and pairwise metabolite ratios with insulin responses after glucose, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and arginine stimulation. We then investigated if the identified metabolite ratios were associated with measures of OGTT-derived beta cell function and with prevalent and incident type 2 diabetes. Methods We measured the levels of 188 metabolites in plasma samples from 130 healthy members of twin families (from the Netherlands Twin Register) at five time points during a modified 3 h hyperglycaemic clamp with glucose, GLP-1 and arginine stimulation. We validated our results in cohorts with OGTT data (n = 340) and epidemiological case–control studies of prevalent (n = 4925) and incident (n = 4277) diabetes. The data were analysed using regression models with adjustment for potential confounders. Results There were dynamic changes in metabolite levels in response to the different secretagogues. Furthermore, several fasting pairwise metabolite ratios were associated with one or multiple clamp-derived measures of insulin secretion (all p Conclusion/interpretation In this study we have shown that the Val_PC ae C32:2 metabolite ratio is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and measures of insulin secretion and resistance. The observed effects were stronger than that of the individual metabolites and independent of known risk factors.</p

TinyTorrent: Combining BitTorrent and SensorNets

The first of the two goals of this research was to investigate the BitTorrent protocol to determine what features make it successful on an Internet scale. These features include its ability to rapidly replicate data across the network, while ensuring fair participation of peers in the network. This resulted in the design and development of the TinyTorrent protocol, which adapted these BitTorrent features for a SensorNet environment. TinyTorrent was implemented for the Crossbow MICA2 hardware platform using nesC. The second goal was to explore a means of exposing SensorNet data to external systems. This resulted in the development of a SensorNet Plugin for the Azureus BitTorrent client, based on a proxy architecture. The SensorNet Plugin enables SensorNets to publish data to the BitTorrent network, and also acts as a tracker for the SensorNet running TinyTorrent. The TinyTorrent system was evaluated by experiment and simulation to determine the protocol overhead, energy consumption characteristics, effects of interference and real-world throughput. The evaluation showed that the use of more complex algorithms is feasible provided these lead to a reduction in the number or size of messages

A Java Distributed Computation Library

This paper describes the design and development of a Java Distributed Computation Library, which provides a simple development platform for developers who wish to quickly implement a distributed computation in the context of an SPMD architecture (Single Program, Multiple Data). The need for this research arose out of the realisation that the currently available distributed computation libraries and systems do not adequately meet certain criteria, such as ease of development, dynamic changes to system behaviour, and easy deployment of distributed software. The proposed solution to this problem was to produce a Java-based distributed computation library which enables developers to use the Java language to quickly and easily implement a distributed computation. The results of experiments conducted using DCL are also presented, as a means of showing that DCL met its design goals