FlexAnalytics: A flexible data analytics framework for big data applications with I/O performance improvement

Increasingly larger scale applications are generating an unprecedented amount of data. However, the increasing gap between computation and I/O capacity on High End Computing machines makes a severe bottleneck for data analysis. Instead of moving data from its source to the output storage, in-situ analytics processes output data while simulations are running. However, in-situ data analysis incurs much more computing resource contentions with simulations. Such contentions severely damage the performance of simulation on HPE. Since different data processing strategies have different impact on performance and cost, there is a consequent need for flexibility in the location of data analytics. In this paper, we explore and analyze several potential data-analytics placement strategies along the I/O path. To find out the best strategy to reduce data movement in given situation, we propose a flexible data analytics (FlexAnalytics) framework in this paper. Based on this framework, a FlexAnalytics prototype system is developed for analytics placement. FlexAnalytics system enhances the scalability and flexibility of current I/O stack on HEC platforms and is useful for data pre-processing, runtime data analysis and visualization, as well as for large-scale data transfer. Two use cases – scientific data compression and remote visualization – have been applied in the study to verify the performance of FlexAnalytics. Experimental results demonstrate that FlexAnalytics framework increases data transition bandwidth and improves the application end-to-end transfer performance.

Telomere structure, replication and length maintenance

Telomeres are the termini of linear eukaryotic chromosomes consisting of tandem repeats of DNA and proteins that bind to these repeat sequences. Telomeres ensure the complete replication of chromosome ends, impart protection to ends from nucleolytic degradation, end-to-end fusion, and guide the localization of chromosomes within the nucleus. In addition, a combination of genetic, biochemical, and molecular biological approaches have implicated key roles for telomeres in diverse cellular processes such as regulation of gene expression, cell division, cell senescence, and cancer. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the organization of telomeres, telomere replication, proteins that bind telomeric DNA, and the establishment of telomere length equilibrium.

Metsäpirulainen : Liikemies Erik Johan Längman (1799-1863) talousjärjestelmän murroksessa

The Forest devil. Businessman Erik Johan Längman (1799 1863) in the transition of economic system In Finnish historiography, Erik Johan Längman (1799-1863) bears a bad reputation of his own level: a mean, profit-seeking businessman who did not care too much about methods in his operations. Although little known, Längman has been praised as one of the pioneers of modern industry in the Grand Duchy of Finland, which belonged to the Russian Empire. From the mid 1830s Längman owned iron mill and several sawmills around the country. The growing demand of the markets in the 1830s, especially in Great Britain, marked a strong stimulus to Finnish lumber industry. At the same time claims for stricter rule over the sawmill industry were raised by high officials. The momentum of the conflict, the Forest Act of 1851, brought an end to illegal overproduction. In this biography, particular emphasis is laid on the entrepreneurial behaviour of Längman, but also on the effect the entrepreneurs had on the Crown s policies. On the other hand, how did the limitations imposed by the Crown guide the actions of the sawmill owners? The solutions adopted by the sawmill owners and the manoeuvring of the government are in a constant dialogue in this study. The Finnish sawmill industry experienced a major change in its techniques and methods of acquiring timber during the 1830s. Längman particularly, with his acquisition organisation, was able to find and reach faraway forests with unexpected results. The official regulating system with its strict producing quotas couldn t follow the changes. When the battle against the sawmill industry really started on, in 1840, it didn t happen for the benefit of iron industry, as argued previously, but to save Crown forests from depletion. After the mid 1840s Längman and the leader of the Finnish nationalistic movement, J. V. Snellman questioned the rationality of the entire regulation system and in doing so they also posed a threat against the aristocratic power. The influential but now also badly provoked chairman of the economic division of senate, Lars Gabriel von Haartman, accused the sawmill-owners harder than ever and took the advantage of the reactionary spirit of imperial Russia to launch the state forest administration. Längman circumvented the conditions of privileges, felled Crown forests illegally and accusations were brought against him for destroying his competitors. The repeated conflicts spoke primarily about a superior business idea and organisational ability. Although Längman spent his last years mostly abroad he still had interests in Finnish timber business when the liberation of sawmill-industry was established, in 1861. Surprisingly, the antagonism around the Crown forests continued, probably even more heated.

Increased reproductive success in older female red kangaroos and the impact of harvesting

Wildlife harvesting has a long history in Australia, including obvious examples of overexploitation. Not surprisingly, there is scepticism that commercial harvesting can be undertaken sustainably. Kangaroo harvesting has been challenged regularly at Administrative Appeals Tribunals and elsewhere over the past three decades. Initially, the concern from conservation groups was sustainability of the harvest. This has been addressed through regular, direct monitoring that now spans > 30 years and a conservative harvest regime with a low risk of overharvest in the face of uncertainty. Opposition to the harvest now continues from animal rights groups whose concerns have shifted from overall harvest sustainability to side effects such as animal welfare, and changes to community structure, genetic composition and population age structure. Many of these concerns are speculative and difficult to address, requiring expensive data. One concern is that older females are the more successful breeders and teach their daughters optimal habitat and diet selection. The lack of older animals in a harvested population may reduce the fitness of the remaining individuals; implying population viability would also be compromised. This argument can be countered by the persistence of populations under harvesting without any obvious impairment to reproduction. Nevertheless, an interesting question is how age influences reproductive output. In this study, data collected from a number of red kangaroo populations across eastern Australia indicate that the breeding success of older females is up to 7-20% higher than that of younger females. This effect is smaller than that of body condition and the environment, which can increase breeding success by up to 30% and 60% respectively. Average age of mature females in a population may be reduced from 9 to 6 years old, resulting in a potential reduction in breeding success of 3-4%. This appears to be offset in harvested populations by improved condition of females from a reduction in kangaroo density. There is an important recommendation for management. The best insurance policy against overharvest and unwanted side effects is not research, which could be never-ending. Rather, it is a harvest strategy that includes safeguards against uncertainty such as harvest reserves, conservative quotas and regular monitoring. Research is still important in fine tuning that strategy and is most usefully incorporated as adaptive management where it can address the key questions on how populations respond to harvesting.

Selma's saga [1916-1948]

The memoirs were written in 1982 in Sydney, Australia and include excerpts of letters from various relatives during the years 1938-1941. Early childhood recollections of World War One. The family was living in the 6th district of Vienna. Description of domestic life with maids, laundresses and a French governess. Death of her mother in 1918. Trip with her stepmother Ida Plohn to Prague. Recollections of a stay in the countryside at their maid's family, where Selma and her older sister Martha awaited the birth of their younger sister Trude. Memories of Christmas celebrations. Summer vacations in the mountains. Description of the extended family. Inflation and economic depression in the 1920s. Strict upbringing by her stepmother. Children recreation trip to Grado, Italy in 1925. Selma was accepted at the "Bundeserziehungsanstalt" for gifted students. Only few fellow Jewish students. Religious education with beloved rabbi Diamant. Recovery from tonsilitis in a senatorium in Aflenz, Austria. Celebration of Jewish holidays and visits at the Synagogue on Yom Kippur. Transfer to Realschule. Due to a sudden onset of various illnesses Selma was unable to continue school and had put an end to her father's dream of an university education for her. Difficult to find a position in the depression times of the early 1930s. Only few working options for a Jewish woman. Position as a secretary in a Jewish firm. Outings in the Vienna Woods. Membership in the Zionist group Betar.

Design challenges for electronic medication administration record systems in residential aged care facilities: A formative evaluation

Introduction Electronic medication administration record (eMAR) systems are promoted as a potential intervention to enhance medication safety in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-practice evaluation of an eMAR being piloted in one Australian RACF before its roll out, and to provide recommendations for system improvements. Methods A multidisciplinary team conducted direct observations of workflow (n=34 hours) in the RACF site and the community pharmacy. Semi-structured interviews (n=5) with RACF staff and the community pharmacist were conducted to investigate their views of the eMAR system. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach to identify challenges associated with the design of the eMAR system. Results The current eMAR system does not offer an end-to-end solution for medication management. Many steps, including prescribing by doctors and communication with the community pharmacist, are still performed manually using paper charts and fax machines. Five major challenges associated with the design of eMAR system were identified: limited interactivity; inadequate flexibility; problems related to information layout and semantics; the lack of relevant decision support; and system maintenance issues.We suggest recommendations to improve the design of the eMAR system and to optimize existing workflows. Discussion Immediate value can be achieved by improving the system interactivity, reducing inconsistencies in data entry design and offering dedicated organisational support to minimise connectivity issues. Longer-term benefits can be achieved by adding decision support features and establishing system interoperability requirements with stakeholder groups (e.g. community pharmacies) prior to system roll out. In-practice evaluations of technologies like eMAR system have great value in identifying design weaknesses which inhibit optimal system use.

Cross-layer Assisted TCP Algorithms for Vertical Handoff

The ever expanding growth of the wireless access to the Internet in recent years has led to the proliferation of wireless and mobile devices to connect to the Internet. This has created the possibility of mobile devices equipped with multiple radio interfaces to connect to the Internet using any of several wireless access network technologies such as GPRS, WLAN and WiMAX in order to get the connectivity best suited for the application. These access networks are highly heterogeneous and they vary widely in their characteristics such as bandwidth, propagation delay and geographical coverage. The mechanism by which a mobile device switches between these access networks during an ongoing connection is referred to as vertical handoff and it often results in an abrupt and significant change in the access link characteristics. The most common Internet applications such as Web browsing and e-mail make use of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) as their transport protocol and the behaviour of TCP depends on the end-to-end path characteristics such as bandwidth and round-trip time (RTT). As the wireless access link is most likely the bottleneck of a TCP end-to-end path, the abrupt changes in the link characteristics due to a vertical handoff may affect TCP behaviour adversely degrading the performance of the application. The focus of this thesis is to study the effect of a vertical handoff on TCP behaviour and to propose algorithms that improve the handoff behaviour of TCP using cross-layer information about the changes in the access link characteristics. We begin this study by identifying the various problems of TCP due to a vertical handoff based on extensive simulation experiments. We use this study as a basis to develop cross-layer assisted TCP algorithms in handoff scenarios involving GPRS and WLAN access networks. We then extend the scope of the study by developing cross-layer assisted TCP algorithms in a broader context applicable to a wide range of bandwidth and delay changes during a handoff. And finally, the algorithms developed here are shown to be easily extendable to the multiple-TCP flow scenario. We evaluate the proposed algorithms by comparison with standard TCP (TCP SACK) and show that the proposed algorithms are effective in improving TCP behavior in vertical handoff involving a wide range of bandwidth and delay of the access networks. Our algorithms are easy to implement in real systems and they involve modifications to the TCP sender algorithm only. The proposed algorithms are conservative in nature and they do not adversely affect the performance of TCP in the absence of cross-layer information.

Architectural Solutions for Mobile RFID Services on Internet of Things

Mobile RFID services for the Internet of Things can be created by using RFID as an enabling technology in mobile devices. Humans, devices, and things are the content providers and users of these services. Mobile RFID services can be either provided on mobile devices as stand-alone services or combined with end-to-end systems. When different service solution scenarios are considered, there are more than one possible architectural solution in the network, mobile, and back-end server areas. Combining the solutions wisely by applying the software architecture and engineering principles, a combined solution can be formulated for certain application specific use cases. This thesis illustrates these ideas. It also shows how generally the solutions can be used in real world use case scenarios. A case study is used to add further evidence.

TCP Performance with Vertical Handoff

With the proliferation of wireless and mobile devices equipped with multiple radio interfaces to connect to the Internet, vertical handoff involving different wireless access technologies will enable users to get the best of connectivity and service quality during the lifetime of a TCP connection. A vertical handoff may introduce an abrupt, significant change in the access link characteristics and as a result the end-to-end path characteristics such as the bandwidth and the round-trip time (RTT) of a TCP connection may change considerably. TCP may take several RTTs to adapt to these changes in path characteristics and during this interval there may be packet losses and / or inefficient utilization of the available bandwidth. In this thesis we study the behaviour and performance of TCP in the presence of a vertical handoff. We identify the different handoff scenarios that adversely affect TCP performance. We propose several enhancements to the TCP sender algorithm that are specific to the different handoff scenarios to adapt TCP better to a vertical handoff. Our algorithms are conservative in nature and make use of cross-layer information obtained from the lower layers regarding the characteristics of the access links involved in a handoff. We evaluate the proposed algorithms by extensive simulation of the various handoff scenarios involving access links with a wide range of bandwidth and delay. We show that the proposed algorithms are effective in improving the TCP behaviour in various handoff scenarios and do not adversely affect the performance of TCP in the absence of cross-layer information.

Conrad Summenhart's theory of individual rights and its medieval background

This study focuses on the theory of individual rights that the German theologian Conrad Summenhart (1455-1502) explicated in his massive work Opus septipartitum de contractibus pro foro conscientiae et theologico. The central question to be studied is: How does Summenhart understand the concept of an individual right and its immediate implications? The basic premiss of this study is that in Opus septipartitum Summenhart composed a comprehensive theory of individual rights as a contribution to the on-going medieval discourse on rights. With this rationale, the first part of the study concentrates on earlier discussions on rights as the background for Summenhart s theory. Special attention is paid to language in which right was defined in terms of power . In the fourteenth century writers like Hervaeus Natalis and William Ockham maintained that right signifies power by which the right-holder can to use material things licitly. It will also be shown how the attempts to describe what is meant by the term right became more specified and cultivated. Gerson followed the implications that the term power had in natural philosophy and attributed rights to animals and other creatures. To secure right as a normative concept, Gerson utilized the ancient ius suum cuique-principle of justice and introduced a definition in which right was seen as derived from justice. The latter part of this study makes effort to reconstructing Summenhart s theory of individual rights in three sections. The first section clarifies Summenhart s discussion of the right of the individual or the concept of an individual right. Summenhart specified Gerson s description of right as power, taking further use of the language of natural philosophy. In this respect, Summenhart s theory managed to bring an end to a particular continuity of thought that was centered upon a view in which right was understood to signify power to licit action. Perhaps the most significant feature of Summenhart s discussion was the way he explicated the implication of liberty that was present in Gerson s language of rights. Summenhart assimilated libertas with the self-mastery or dominion that in the economic context of discussion took the form of (a moderate) self-ownership. Summenhart discussion also introduced two apparent extensions to Gerson s terminology. First, Summenhart classified right as relation, and second, he equated right with dominion. It is distinctive of Summenhart s view that he took action as the primary determinant of right: Everyone has as much rights or dominion in regard to a thing, as much actions it is licit for him to exercise in regard to the thing. The second section elaborates Summenhart s discussion of the species dominion, which delivered an answer to the question of what kind of rights exist, and clarified thereby the implications of the concept of an individual right. The central feature in Summenhart s discussion was his conscious effort to systematize Gerson s language by combining classifications of dominion into a coherent whole. In this respect, his treatement of the natural dominion is emblematic. Summenhart constructed the concept of natural dominion by making use of the concepts of foundation (founded on a natural gift) and law (according to the natural law). In defining natural dominion as dominion founded on a natural gift, Summenhart attributed natural dominion to animals and even to heavenly bodies. In discussing man s natural dominion, Summenhart pointed out that the natural dominion is not sufficiently identified by its foundation, but requires further specification, which Summenhart finds in the idea that natural dominion is appropriate to the subject according to the natural law. This characterization lead him to treat God s dominion as natural dominion. Partly, this was due to Summenhart s specific understanding of the natural law, which made reasonableness as the primary criterion for the natural dominion at the expense of any metaphysical considerations. The third section clarifies Summenhart s discussion of the property rights defined by the positive human law. By delivering an account on juridical property rights Summenhart connected his philosophical and theological theory on rights to the juridical language of his times, and demonstrated that his own language of rights was compatible with current juridical terminology. Summenhart prepared his discussion of property rights with an account of the justification for private property, which gave private property a direct and strong natural law-based justification. Summenhart s discussion of the four property rights usus, usufructus, proprietas, and possession aimed at delivering a detailed report of the usage of these concepts in juridical discourse. His discussion was characterized by extensive use of the juridical source texts, which was more direct and verbal the more his discussion became entangled with the details of juridical doctrine. At the same time he promoted his own language on rights, especially by applying the idea of right as relation. He also showed recognizable effort towards systematizing juridical language related to property rights.

An innovative clustering technique for unsupervized learning in the context of remotely sensed earth resources data analysis

A new clustering technique, based on the concept of immediato neighbourhood, with a novel capability to self-learn the number of clusters expected in the unsupervized environment, has been developed. The method compares favourably with other clustering schemes based on distance measures, both in terms of conceptual innovations and computational economy. Test implementation of the scheme using C-l flight line training sample data in a simulated unsupervized mode has brought out the efficacy of the technique. The technique can easily be implemented as a front end to established pattern classification systems with supervized learning capabilities to derive unified learning systems capable of operating in both supervized and unsupervized environments. This makes the technique an attractive proposition in the context of remotely sensed earth resources data analysis wherein it is essential to have such a unified learning system capability.

Random security scheme selection for mobile transactions

Security in a mobile communication environment is always a matter for concern, even after deploying many security techniques at device, network, and application levels. The end-to-end security for mobile applications can be made robust by developing dynamic schemes at application level which makes use of the existing security techniques varying in terms of space, time, and attacks complexities. In this paper we present a security techniques selection scheme for mobile transactions, called the Transactions-Based Security Scheme (TBSS). The TBSS uses intelligence to study, and analyzes the security implications of transactions under execution based on certain criterion such as user behaviors, transaction sensitivity levels, and credibility factors computed over the previous transactions by the users, network vulnerability, and device characteristics. The TBSS identifies a suitable level of security techniques from the repository, which consists of symmetric, and asymmetric types of security algorithms arranged in three complexity levels, covering various encryption/decryption techniques, digital signature schemes, andhashing techniques. From this identified level, one of the techniques is deployed randomly. The results shows that, there is a considerable reduction in security cost compared to static schemes, which employ pre-fixed security techniques to secure the transactions data.

A Slotted Aloha joint MAC-cum-Routing protocol for data gathering sensor network applications

In this paper we have proposed and implemented a joint Medium Access Control (MAC) -cum- Routing scheme for environment data gathering sensor networks. The design principle uses node 'battery lifetime' maximization to be traded against a network that is capable of tolerating: A known percentage of combined packet losses due to packet collisions, network synchronization mismatch and channel impairments Significant end-to-end delay of an order of few seconds We have achieved this with a loosely synchronized network of sensor nodes that implement Slotted-Aloha MAC state machine together with route information. The scheme has given encouraging results in terms of energy savings compared to other popular implementations. The overall packet loss is about 12%. The battery life time increase compared to B-MAC varies from a minimum of 30% to about 90% depending on the duty cycle.

A Bayesian incentive compatible mechanism for decentralized supply chain formation

In this paper we consider a decentralized supply chain formation problem for linear multi-echelon supply chains when the managers of the individual echelons are autonomous, rational, and intelligent. At each echelon, there is a choice of service providers and the specific problem we solve is that of determining a cost-optimal mix of service providers so as to achieve a desired level of end-to-end delivery performance. The problem can be broken up into two sub-problems following a mechanism design approach: (1) Design of an incentive compatible mechanism to elicit the true cost functions from the echelon managers; (2) Formulation and solution of an appropriate optimization problem using the true cost information. In this paper we propose a novel Bayesian incentive compatible mechanism for eliciting the true cost functions. This improves upon existing solutions in the literature which are all based on the classical Vickrey-Clarke-Groves mechanisms, requiring significant incentives to be paid to the echelon managers for achieving dominant strategy incentive compatibility. The proposed solution, which we call SCF-BIC (Supply Chain Formation with Bayesian Incentive Compatibility), significantly reduces the cost of supply chain formation. We illustrate the efficacy of the proposed methodology using the example of a three echelon manufacturing supply chain.

The legality of deep packet inspection

Deep packet inspection is a technology which enables the examination of the content of information packets being sent over the Internet. The Internet was originally set up using “end-to-end connectivity” as part of its design, allowing nodes of the network to send packets to all other nodes of the network, without requiring intermediate network elements to maintain status information about the transmission. In this way, the Internet was created as a “dumb” network, with “intelligent” devices (such as personal computers) at the end or “last mile” of the network. The dumb network does not interfere with an application's operation, nor is it sensitive to the needs of an application, and as such it treats all information sent over it as (more or less) equal. Yet, deep packet inspection allows the examination of packets at places on the network which are not endpoints, In practice, this permits entities such as Internet service providers (ISPs) or governments to observe the content of the information being sent, and perhaps even manipulate it. Indeed, the existence and implementation of deep packet inspection may challenge profoundly the egalitarian and open character of the Internet. This paper will firstly elaborate on what deep packet inspection is and how it works from a technological perspective, before going on to examine how it is being used in practice by governments and corporations. Legal problems have already been created by the use of deep packet inspection, which involve fundamental rights (especially of Internet users), such as freedom of expression and privacy, as well as more economic concerns, such as competition and copyright. These issues will be considered, and an assessment of the conformity of the use of deep packet inspection with law will be made. There will be a concentration on the use of deep packet inspection in European and North American jurisdictions, where it has already provoked debate, particularly in the context of discussions on net neutrality. This paper will also incorporate a more fundamental assessment of the values that are desirable for the Internet to respect and exhibit (such as openness, equality and neutrality), before concluding with the formulation of a legal and regulatory response to the use of this technology, in accordance with these values.