Data management technologies in LHC Computing Grid

Performance, reliability and scalability in data management are cornerstones in the context of the computing Grid, where the volumes of data to be moved are huge, and the data analysis must be supported by high-performance and scalable storage resources. Nowadays, the data management issues are particularly important, considering the large data size and I/O load that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is going to produce. The Enabling Grids for Enabling e-Science (EGEE) EU funded project, where the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) is a key member, is responsible to release and maintain the currently world’s largest production grid, a sophisticated hierarchy of data management and storage tools developed to help physicist, but also other scientific communities, in the face of distributed data management problems. This paper reviews the main technologies employed for storage and data management in EGEE, and in the associated Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) project

StoRM: A Manager for Storage Resource in Grid

Nowadays, data intensive applications demand high-performance and large-storage systems capable of serving up to various Petabytes of storage space. Therefore, common solutions adopted in data centres include Storage Area Networks (SAN) and cluster parallel file systems, such as GPFS from IBM and Lustre from Sun Microsystems. In order to make these storage system solutions available in modern Data Grid architectures, standard interfaces are needed. The Grid Storage Resource Manager (SRM) interface is one of these standard interfaces. Grid storage services implementing the SRM standard provide common capabilities and advanced functionality such as dynamic space allocation and file management on shared storage systems. In this paper, we describe StoRM (STOrage Resource Manager). StoRM is a flexible and high-performing implementation of the standard SRM interface version 2.2. The software architecture of StoRM allows for an easy integration to different underlying storage systems via a plug-in mechanism. In particular, StoRM takes advantage from storage systems based on cluster file systems. Currently, StoRM is installed and used in production in various data centres, including the WLCG Italian Tier-1. In addition, Economics and Financial communities, as represented by the EGRID Project, adopt StoRM in production as well

Reduced Recharge Capacity of a Pump and Treat System

The North Boundary treatment system at Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA), Commerce City, Colorado, involves pumping of contaminated groundwater from an unconfined aquifer from one side of a soil-bentonite (SB) slurry wall to three pulsed-bed activated carbon adsorbers and prefilter and postfilter systems. The treated water is injected into the unconfined aquifer on the other side of the slurry wall via 38 recharge wells and 15 recharge trenches, collectively referred to as the recharge system. Recharge capacity of the recharge system has declined over time, limiting the operating capacity of the system. Two probable causes for reduction of the recharge systems is assessed

Plant biodiversity drivers in Brazilian campos rupestres : insights from phylogenetic structure

MMwas funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP 2013/15280–9) at the initial stages of this work.Old, climate-buffered infertile landscapes (Ocbils) have attracted increasing levels of interest in recent years because of their exceptionally diverse plant communities. Brazil’s campos rupestres (rupestrian grasslands) are home to almost 15% of Brazil’s native flora in less than 0.8% of Brazil’s territory: an ideal study system for exploring variation in floristic diversity and phylogenetic structure in sites differing in geology and phytophysiognomy. We found significant differences in floristic diversity and phylogenetic structure across a range of study sites encompassing open vegetation and forest on quartzite and on ironstone substrates, commonly termed canga. Substrate was key in structuring floristic diversity with physiognomy having a secondary effect. In contrast physiognomy was more important than substrate in structuring phylogenetic diversity, with neither substrate nor its interaction with physiognomy accounting for significant variation in phylogenetic structure. Phylogenetic clustering was significant in open vegetation on both canga and quartzite, reflecting the potential role of environmental filtering in these exposed montane communities adapted to multiple environmental stressors. In forest communities, phylogenetic clustering was significant only at relatively deep nodes of the phylogeny in forest on quartzite while no significant phylogenetic clustering was detected across forest on canga, which may be attributable to proximity to the megadiverse Atlantic forest biome and/or comparatively benign environmental conditions in forest on canga with relatively deep, nutrient-rich soils and access to edaphic water reliable in comparison to those for open vegetation on canga and open or forest communities on quartzite. Clades representing relatively old lineages are significantly over-represented in campos rupestres on quartzite, consistent with the Gondwanan Heritage Hypothesis of Ocbil theory. In contrast, forested sites on canga are recognized as Yodfels. To be effective, conservation measures must take account of the distinct communities which are encompassed within the broad term campos rupestres, and the differing vulnerabilities of Ocbils and Yodfels.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Small structure, big significance: seed morphology of South American species of M itracarpus (Rubiaceae - Spermacoceae)

Mitracarpus Zuce, ex Schult. & Schult.f. comprises about 50 species distributed mainly throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the New World, from Southern United States to central Argentina. Considering the importance of micromorphological characters for the taxonomy of Spermacoceae s.s. (Rubiaceae), the present study aimed to analyse the taxonomic significance of seed micromorphology in Mitracarpus species from South America. The seeds of 29 species were analysed through light microscopy and scanning electrón microscopy (SEM). For SEM analyses the seeds were mounted on stubs, air dried, covered with gold-palladium. The analyses revealed four pattems and eight subtypes in Mitracarpus, based mainly on the shape of the ventral groove and exotesta features: (1) X-shaped groove: 1.1. reticulate-areolate exotesta, without cruciform depression (M eritricoides, M. parvulus, M. longicalyx, M. nitidus)', 1.2. reticulate-areolate exotesta, with cruciform depression (M. albomarginatus, M. bacigalupoae, M. femandesii); 1.3. reticulate-foveate exotesta, without cruciform depression (M. brasiliensis, M. federalensis, M. hirtus, M. microspermus, M. nitidus, M. polygonifolius); 1.4. papillate exotesta, without cruciform depression (M. pusillus, M. recurvatus, M. steyermarkii); 1.5. reticulate-foveate exotesta, with cruciform depression (M. anthospermoides,M. carajasensis,M. baturitensis,M. bicrucis,M. frigidus); (2) Inverted-Y-shaped groove, reticulate-foveate exotesta, without cruciform depression (M. eichleri, M. salzmannianus, M. semirianus); (3) Rectangularquadrangular-shaped groove, reticulate-areolate exotesta, without cruciform depression (M hasslerianus, M. Ihotzkyanus, M. megapotamicus, M. rigidifolius); (4) Oblong-shaped groove, reticulate-foveate exotesta, without cruciform depression (M. diversifolius). The data obtained here have shown the systematic importance o f seed characteristics in Mitracarpus, as well their valué to indicate affinities among species. It is expected that this study regarding the seed characters in Mitracarpus can provide a potential source o f apomorphies to discem the clades in future molecular phylogenetic analyses. Acknowledgements: FUNCAP (Process BP5-0197-00136.01.00/22); Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; KLARF (Kew Latín American Research Fellowships Programme); CONICET

Storage Infrastructure at the INFN LHC Tier-1

In this paper we will describe the Storage Infrastructure of the INFN-CNAF Tier-1, used to store data of High Energy Physics experiments, in particular those operating at the Large Hadron Collider

Differential Response to Soil Salinity in Endangered Key Tree Cactus: Implications for Survival in a Changing Climate

Understanding reasons for biodiversity loss is essential for developing conservation and management strategies and is becoming increasingly urgent with climate change. Growing at elevations <1.4 m in the Florida Keys, USA, the endangered Key tree cactus (Pilosocereus robinii) experienced 84 percent loss of total stems from 1994 to 2007. The most severe losses of 99 and 88 percent stems occurred in the largest populations in the Lower Keys, where nine storms with high wind velocities and storm surges, occurred during this period. In contrast, three populations had substantial stem proliferation. To evaluate possible mortality factors related to changes in climate or forest structure, we examined habitat variables: soil salinity, elevation, canopy cover, and habitat structure near 16 dying or dead and 18 living plants growing in the Lower Keys. Soil salinity and elevation were the preliminary factors that discriminated live and dead plants. Soil salinity was 1.5 times greater, but elevation was 12 cm higher near dead plants than near live plants. However, distribution-wide stem loss was not significantly related to salinity or elevation. Controlled salinity trials indicated that salt tolerance to levels above 40 mM NaCl was related to maternal origin. Salt sensitive plants from the Lower Keys had less stem growth, lower root:shoot ratios, lower potassium: sodium ratios and lower recovery rate, but higher δ 13C than a salt tolerant lineage of unknown origin. Unraveling the genetic structure of salt tolerant and salt sensitive lineages in the Florida Keys will require further genetic tests. Worldwide rare species restricted to fragmented, low-elevation island habitats, with little or no connection to higher ground will face challenges from climate change-related factors. These great conservation challenges will require traditional conservation actions and possibly managed relocation that must be informed by studies such as these