Performance and energy optimization on terasort algorithm by task self-resizing

In applications of MapReduce, Terasort is one of the most successful ones, which has helped Hadoop to win the Sort Benchmark three times. While Terasort is known for its sorting speed on big data, its performance and energy consumption still can be optimized. We have analyzed the characteristics of Terasort and have identified the existence of idle notes, which does not only waste energy but also loses performance. Therefore, we optimize Terasort through a single-task distributed algorithm and a task self-resizing algorithm to save time and reduce the energy that is consumed by map nodes, which is caused by waiting for tasks and reduce nodes waiting for input. The algorithm proposed in this paper has proved to be effective in optimizing performance and energy consumption through a series of experiments. It can also be adapted to other applications in the MapReduce environment

Poly[(μ5-5-carboxylatotetrahydrofuran-2,3,4-tricarboxylic acid)sodium]

The search for the novel metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) materials using tetra­hydro­furan-2,3,4,5-tetra­carboxylic acid (THFTCA) as a versatile multi-carboxyl ligand, lead to the synthesis and the structure determination of the title compound, [Na(H3THFTCA)] or [Na(C8H7O9)]n, which was obtained by a solution reaction at room temperature. The ligand is mono-deprotonated, coordinating five sodium ions through one furan oxygen atom and six carboxyl oxygen atoms. The sodium ion exhibits a distorted penta­gonal-bipyramidal NaO7 geometry consisting of seven O atoms derived from five surrounding ligands. Two adjacent pentagonal bipyramids share an O—O edge, forming a dinuclear sodium cluster. Finally, these clusters are effectively linked by the carboxyl groups of THFTCA ligands, forming a firm metal organic framework and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds contribute to the crystal packing

4-(4-Fluoro­phen­yl)-2-oxo-1,2,5,6-tetra­hydro­benzo[h]quinoline-3-carbonitrile

In the mol­ecule of the title compound, C20H13FN2O, the fluoro­phenyl ring is oriented at a dihedral angle of 72.76 (3)° with respect to the fused benzene ring. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯O, C—H⋯O and C—H⋯F inter­actions link the mol­ecules into chains. π–π contacts between the quinoline and benzene rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.918 (3) Å] may further stabilize the structure. A weak C—H⋯π inter­action is also present. The O atom and two of the CH2 groups of the quinoline ring system are disordered over two positions. The O atom was refined with occupancies of 0.489 (17) and 0.511 (17), while C and H atoms were refined with occupancies of 0.435 (13) and 0.565 (13)

Multistaged discharge constructing heterostructure with enhanced solid-solution behavior for long-life lithium-oxygen batteries.

Inferior charge transport in insulating and bulk discharge products is one of the main factors resulting in poor cycling stability of lithium-oxygen batteries with high overpotential and large capacity decay. Here we report a two-step oxygen reduction approach by pre-depositing a potassium carbonate layer on the cathode surface in a potassium-oxygen battery to direct the growth of defective film-like discharge products in the successive cycling of lithium-oxygen batteries. The formation of defective film with improved charge transport and large contact area with a catalyst plays a critical role in the facile decomposition of discharge products and the sustained stability of the battery. Multistaged discharge constructing lithium peroxide-based heterostructure with band discontinuities and a relatively low lithium diffusion barrier may be responsible for the growth of defective film-like discharge products. This strategy offers a promising route for future development of cathode catalysts that can be used to extend the cycling life of lithium-oxygen batteries

Eosinophilia triggers changes in IL-5, eotaxin and IL-17, and acts as a prognostic biomarker for atopic dermatitis

Purpose: To investigate the implication of eosinophilia in atopic dermatitis (AD).Methods: A total of 139 AD patients from The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine between February 2013 and May 2015, were involved in this study. Scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index was used to evaluate the skin lesions. The levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17, INFgamma, IP-10, eotaxin and Regulated on Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES), were determined with commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Eosinophil counts were carried out by granulocyte count method. Correlation between SCORAD scores and levels of cytokines was analyzed using the Spearman correlation method.Results: SCORAD scores significantly increased in the eosinophil-positive group when compared to eosinophil-negative group (p < 0.05). Eosinophil counts correlated with SCORAD scores in the eosinophil-positive group (p < 0.05). INF-γ, IP-10 and RANTES levels were significantly higher in the eosinophil-positive group than in eosinophil- negative group, while IL-5, eotaxin and IL-17 levels significantly decreased in eosinophil-positive group (p < 0.05). In the eosinophil-positive group, IL-5, eotaxin and IL-17 levels positively correlated with SCORAD scores.Conclusion: Eosinophilia triggers lL-5, eotaxin and IL-17 changes and acts as a prognostic biomarker for atopic dermatitis. These findings may give further insights into the pathogenesis of AD.Keywords: Atopic dermatitis, Eosinophilia, SCORAD score, Biomarker, Cytokine

Expanded CURB-65: A new score system predicts severity of community-acquired pneumonia with superior efficiency

Aim of this study was to develop a new simpler and more effective severity score for communityacquired pneumonia (CAP) patients. A total of 1640 consecutive hospitalized CAP patients in Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University were included. The effectiveness of different pneumonia severity scores to predict mortality was compared, and the performance of the new score was validated on an external cohort of 1164 patients with pneumonia admitted to a teaching hospital in Italy. Using age≥ 65 years, LDH>230u/L, albumin<3.5g/dL, platelet count<100×109/L, confusion, urea>7mmol/L, respiratory rate≥30/min, low blood pressure, we assembled a new severity score named as expanded-CURB-65. The 30-day mortality and length of stay were increased along with increased risk score. The AUCs in the prediction of 30-day mortality in the main cohort were 0.826 (95%CI, 0.807–0.844), 0.801 (95%CI, 0.781–0.820), 0.756 (95%CI, 0.735–0.777), 0.793 (95%CI, 0.773–0.813) and 0.759 (95%CI, 0.737–0.779) for the expanded-CURB-65, PSI, CURB-65, SMART-COP and A-DROP, respectively. The performance of this bedside score was confirmed in CAP patients of the validation cohort although calibration was not successful in patients with health care-associated pneumonia (HCAP). The expanded CURB-65 is objective, simpler and more accurate scoring system for evaluation of CAP severity, and the predictive efficiency was better than other score systems