Tuning adaptive computations for the performance improvement of applications in JEE server

With the increasing use of autonomic computing technologies, a Java Enterprise Edition (JEE) application server is implemented with more and more adaptive computations for self-managing the Middleware as well as its hosted applications. However, these adaptive computations consume resources such as CPU and memory, and can interfere with the normal business processing of applications at runtime due to resource competition, especially when the whole system is under heavy load. Tuning these adaptive computations from the perspective of resource management becomes necessary. In this article, we propose a tuning model for adaptive computations. Based on the model, tuning is carried out dynamically by upgrading or degrading the autonomic level of an adaptive computation so as to control its resource consumption. We implement the RSpring tuner and use it to optimize autonomic JEE servers such as PkuAS and JOnAS. RSpring is evaluated on ECperf and RUBiS benchmark applications. The results show that it can effectively improve the application performance by 13.6 % in PkuAS and 19.2 % in JOnAS with the same amount of resources. ? 2012 The Brazilian Computer Society.EI02143-158

Ultrasonography-guided Percutaneous Interventional Procedures of the Spleen

Since the introduction of real-time ultrasonography (US) to the medicine in late 1970s, the unique benefit of the real-time cross-sectional imaging has made US one of the most widely used imaging modalities to guide interventional procedures. Among the intra-abdominal solid organs, the spleen is the least common solid organ considered for interventional procedures. Although splenic puncture for splenoportography was performed as early as the 1950s and has had a low complication rate, traditionally a direct splenic puncture is still avoided due to the risk of hemorrhage or laceration. US-guided percutaneous drainage of splenic abscesses has been used as a safe alternative procedure for more than 20 years, however, only a few series reporting such an interventional procedure have been published. This review describes briefly the usefulness, technique, safety, and the outcome of US-guided interventional procedures of the spleen

Geometric bionics: Lotus effect helps polystyrene nanotube films get good blood compatibility

Various biomaterials have been widely used for manufacturing biomedical applications including artificial organs, medical devices and disposable clinical apparatus, such as vascular prostheses, blood pumps, artificial kidney, artificial hearts, dialyzers and plasma separators, which could be used in contact with blood^1^. However, the research tasks of improving hemocompatibility of biomaterials have been carrying out with the development of biomedical requirements^2^. Since the interactions that lead to surface-induced thrombosis occurring at the blood-biomaterial interface become a reason of familiar current complications with grafts therapy, improvement of the blood compatibility of artificial polymer surfaces is, therefore a major issue in biomaterials science^3^. After decades of focused research, various approaches of modifying biomaterial surfaces through chemical or biochemical methods to improve their hemocompatibility were obtained^1^. In this article, we report that polystyrene nanotube films with morphology similar to the papilla on lotus leaf can be used as blood-contacted biomaterials by virtue of Lotus effect^4^. Clearly, this idea, resulting from geometric bionics that mimicking the structure design of lotus leaf, is very novel technique for preparation of hemocompatible biomaterials

Aplikasi Image Thresholding Untuk Segmentasi Objek

Salah satu operasi di dalam analisis citra adalah segmentasi citra, yaitu memisahkan objek dari latar belakangnya atau dari objek lain yang tidak menjadi perhatian. Metode sementasi yang sederhana adalah dengan operasi pengambangan (thresholding). Operasi pengambangan menghasilkan citra biner, yang dalam hal ini objek yang diacu di-set berwarna putih sedangkan latar belakangnya di-set berwarna hitam (atau sebaliknya bergantung kasusnya). Makalah ini mempresentasikan penggunaan operasi pengambangan untuk melakukan segmentasi objek. Eksperimen dilakukan dengan menggunakan kakas MATLAB. Hasil eksperimen memperlihatkan bahwa pemilihan nilai ambang (threshold) yang tepat sangat menentukan keberhasilan segmentasi

Intraosseous Lipoma of the Proximal Radius with Extraosseous Extension: A Case Report

Examination of lipomatous tumors with ultrasound (US) is generally limited to the soft tissue component of the mass and cortical contours of the involved bone. We report a patient with an intraosseous lipoma of the proximal radius with extra-osseous extension. US showed a heterogeneous hyperechoic mass lesion (3.5 × 3.0 cm in size) at the radial aspect of the left elbow, with bony cortex interruption. The lesion was associated with increased marginal color flow signals on color Doppler US study. Atypical lipoma or low-grade liposarcoma was diagnosed. The pathologic examination of the lesion demonstrated an abnormal collection of mature adipose tissue consistent with lipoma

Cross-linked CoMoO4/rGO nanosheets as oxygen reduction catalyst

Development of inexpensive and robust electrocatalysts towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for the cost-affordable manufacturing of metal-air batteries and fuel cells. Here we show that cross-linked CoMoO4 nanosheets and reduced graphene oxide (CoMoO4/rGO) can be integrated in a hybrid material under one-pot hydrothermal conditions, yielding a composite material with promising catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) were used to investigate the efficiency of the fabricated CoMoO4/rGO catalyst towards ORR in alkaline conditions. The CoMoO4/rGO composite revealed the main reduction peak and onset potential centered at 0.78 and 0.89 V (vs. RHE), respectively. This study shows that the CoMoO4/rGO composite is a highly promising catalyst for the ORR under alkaline conditions, and potential noble metal replacement cathode in fuel cells and metal-air batteries

Simultaneous evolutionary expansion and constraint of genomic heterogeneity in multifocal lung cancer.

Recent genomic analyses have revealed substantial tumor heterogeneity across various cancers. However, it remains unclear whether and how genomic heterogeneity is constrained during tumor evolution. Here, we sequence a unique cohort of multiple synchronous lung cancers (MSLCs) to determine the relative diversity and uniformity of genetic drivers upon identical germline and environmental background. We find that each multicentric primary tumor harbors distinct oncogenic alterations, including novel mutations that are experimentally demonstrated to be functional and therapeutically targetable. However, functional studies show a strikingly constrained tumorigenic pathway underlying heterogeneous genetic variants. These results suggest that although the mutation-specific routes that cells take during oncogenesis are stochastic, genetic trajectories may be constrained by selection for functional convergence on key signaling pathways. Our findings highlight the robust evolutionary pressures that simultaneously shape the expansion and constraint of genomic diversity, a principle that holds important implications for understanding tumor evolution and optimizing therapeutic strategies.Across cancer types tumor heterogeneity has been observed, but how this relates to tumor evolution is unclear. Here, the authors sequence multiple synchronous lung cancers, highlighting the evolutionary pressures that simultaneously shape the expansion and constraint of genomic heterogeneity

3,9-Dichloro-2,4,8,10-tetra­oxa-3,9-di­phosphaspiro­[5.5]undecane-3,9-dione

In the title compound, C5H8Cl2O6P2, the two six-membered rings display chair conformations. The P=O bond distances are 1.444 (2) and 1.446 (2) Å. Weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds are present in the crystal structure