Movable genetic elements and antibiotic resistance in enterococci

The enterococci possess genetic elements able to move from one strain to another via conjugation. Certain enterococcal plasmids exhibit a broad host range among gram-positive bacteria, but only when matings are performed on solid surfaces. Other plasmids are more specific to enterococci, transfer efficiently in broth, and encode a response to recipient-produced sex phermones. Transmissible non-plasmid elements, the conjugative transposons, are widespread among the enterococci and determine their own fertility properties. Drug resistance, hemolysin, and bacteriocin determinants are commonly found on the various transmissible enterococcal elements. Examples of the different systems are discussed in this review.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47900/1/10096_2005_Article_BF01963632.pd

Designing and Instrumenting a Software Template for Embedded Parallel Systems

This paper considers the design of a reusable software template for a parallel data-farm which uses demand-based load-balancing. A feature of the farm is integral instrumentation. A design example is given for a hybrid processor message-passing machine (the Paramid) in which monitoring is accomplished by an instrumented interface program. Other aspects of the design are use of buffering to mask communication latency, an asynchronous multicast provision, and a controlled interface to the worker functions. Trace material is discussed from two examples when the template design was used to monitor real-time, continuous-flow applications. Th