399 research outputs found
A Scalable Middleware Solution for Advanced Wide Area Web Services
To alleviate scalability problems in the Web, many researchers concentrate on how to incorporate advanced caching and replication techniques. Many solutions incorporate object-based techniques. In particular, Web resources are considered as distributed objects offering a well-defined interface. We argue that most proposals ignore two important aspects. First, there is little discussion on what kind of coherence should be provided. Proposing specific caching or replication solutions makes sense only if we know what coherence model they should implement. Second, most proposals treat all Web resources alike. Such a one-size-fits-all approach will never work in a wide-area system. We propose a solution in which Web resources are encapsulated in physically distributed shared objects. Each object should encapsulate not only state and operations, but also the policy by which its state is distributed, cached, replicated, migrated, etc
Scaling properties of driven interfaces in disordered media
We perform a systematic study of several models that have been proposed for
the purpose of understanding the motion of driven interfaces in disordered
media. We identify two distinct universality classes: (i) One of these,
referred to as directed percolation depinning (DPD), can be described by a
Langevin equation similar to the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation, but with
quenched disorder. (ii) The other, referred to as quenched Edwards-Wilkinson
(QEW), can be described by a Langevin equation similar to the Edwards-Wilkinson
equation but with quenched disorder. We find that for the DPD universality
class the coefficient of the nonlinear term diverges at the depinning
transition, while for the QEW universality class either or
as the depinning transition is approached. The identification
of the two universality classes allows us to better understand many of the
results previously obtained experimentally and numerically. However, we find
that some results cannot be understood in terms of the exponents obtained for
the two universality classes {\it at\/} the depinning transition. In order to
understand these remaining disagreements, we investigate the scaling properties
of models in each of the two universality classes {\it above\/} the depinning
transition. For the DPD universality class, we find for the roughness exponent
for the pinned phase, and
for the moving phase. For the growth exponent, we find for the pinned phase, and for the moving phase.
Furthermore, we find an anomalous scaling of the prefactor of the width on the
driving force. A new exponent , characterizing the
scaling of this prefactor, is shown to relate the values of the roughnessComment: Latex manuscript, Revtex 3.0, 15 pages, and 15 figures also available
via anonymous ftp from ftp://jhilad.bu.edu/pub/abms/ (128.197.42.52
A mouse-human phase 1 co-clinical trial of a protease-activated fluorescent probe for imaging cancer
Local recurrence is a common cause of treatment failure for patients with solid tumors. Intraoperative detection of microscopic residual cancer in the tumor bed could be used to decrease the risk of a positive surgical margin, reduce rates of reexcision, and tailor adjuvant therapy. We used a protease-activated fluorescent imaging probe, LUM015, to detect cancer in vivo in a mouse model of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and ex vivo in a first-in-human phase 1 clinical trial. In mice, intravenous injection of LUM015 labeled tumor cells, and residual fluorescence within the tumor bed predicted local recurrence. In 15 patients with STS or breast cancer, intravenous injection of LUM015 before surgery was well tolerated. Imaging of resected human tissues showed that fluorescence from tumor was significantly higher than fluorescence from normal tissues. LUM015 biodistribution, pharmacokinetic profiles, and metabolism were similar in mouse and human subjects. Tissue concentrations of LUM015 and its metabolites, including fluorescently labeled lysine, demonstrated that LUM015 is selectively distributed to tumors where it is activated by proteases. Experiments in mice with a constitutively active PEGylated fluorescent imaging probe support a model where tumor-selective probe distribution is a determinant of increased fluorescence in cancer. These co-clinical studies suggest that the tumor specificity of protease-activated imaging probes, such as LUM015, is dependent on both biodistribution and enzyme activity. Our first-in-human data support future clinical trials of LUM015 and other protease-sensitive probes
Hysteresis and Avalanches in the Random Anisotropy Ising Model
The behaviour of the Random Anisotropy Ising model at T=0 under local
relaxation dynamics is studied. The model includes a dominant ferromagnetic
interaction and assumes an infinite anisotropy at each site along local
anisotropy axes which are randomly aligned. Two different random distributions
of anisotropy axes have been studied. Both are characterized by a parameter
that allows control of the degree of disorder in the system. By using numerical
simulations we analyze the hysteresis loop properties and characterize the
statistical distribution of avalanches occuring during the metastable evolution
of the system driven by an external field. A disorder-induced critical point is
found in which the hysteresis loop changes from displaying a typical
ferromagnetic magnetization jump to a rather smooth loop exhibiting only tiny
avalanches. The critical point is characterized by a set of critical exponents,
which are consistent with the universal values proposed from the study of other
simpler models.Comment: 40 pages, 21 figures, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
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Open Science principles for accelerating trait-based science across the Tree of Life.
Synthesizing trait observations and knowledge across the Tree of Life remains a grand challenge for biodiversity science. Species traits are widely used in ecological and evolutionary science, and new data and methods have proliferated rapidly. Yet accessing and integrating disparate data sources remains a considerable challenge, slowing progress toward a global synthesis to integrate trait data across organisms. Trait science needs a vision for achieving global integration across all organisms. Here, we outline how the adoption of key Open Science principles-open data, open source and open methods-is transforming trait science, increasing transparency, democratizing access and accelerating global synthesis. To enhance widespread adoption of these principles, we introduce the Open Traits Network (OTN), a global, decentralized community welcoming all researchers and institutions pursuing the collaborative goal of standardizing and integrating trait data across organisms. We demonstrate how adherence to Open Science principles is key to the OTN community and outline five activities that can accelerate the synthesis of trait data across the Tree of Life, thereby facilitating rapid advances to address scientific inquiries and environmental issues. Lessons learned along the path to a global synthesis of trait data will provide a framework for addressing similarly complex data science and informatics challenges
Low-energy excitations in the three-dimensional random-field Ising model
The random-field Ising model (RFIM), one of the basic models for quenched
disorder, can be studied numerically with the help of efficient ground-state
algorithms. In this study, we extend these algorithm by various methods in
order to analyze low-energy excitations for the three-dimensional RFIM with
Gaussian distributed disorder that appear in the form of clusters of connected
spins. We analyze several properties of these clusters. Our results support the
validity of the droplet-model description for the RFIM.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure
Complexes Formed in Solution Between Vanadium(IV)/(V) and the Cyclic Dihydroxamic Acid Putrebactin or Linear Suberodihydroxamic Acid
The ability of microbial siderophores to coordinate metal ions, particularly Fe(III), continues to generate interest in the poten-tial applications of these bioligands in the environment and medicine.13 Siderophores produced by terrestrial and marin
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