Theoretical results of QoS-guaranteed resource scaling for cloud-based MapReduce

Quality of Service (QoS) is a new issue in cloud-based MapReduce, which is a popular computation model for parallel and distributed processing of big data. QoS guarantee is challenging in a dynamical computation environment due to the fact that a fixed resource allocation may become under-provisioning, which leads to QoS violation, or over-provisioning, which increases unnecessary resource cost. This requires runtime resource scaling to adapt environmental changes for QoS guarantee. Aiming to guarantee the QoS, which is referred as to hard deadline in this work, this paper develops a theory to determine how and when resource is scaled up/down for cloud-based MapReduce. The theory employs a nonlinear transformation to define the problem in a reverse resource space, simplifying the theoretical analysis significantly. Then, theoretical results are presented in three theorems on sufficient conditions for guaranteeing the QoS of cloud-based MapReduce. The superiority and applications of the theory are demonstrated through case studies.

Identifying the Function of Sorghum's Drought Tolerance Stay-Green QTL

The goal of this research is to understand the function of allelic variation of genes underpinning the stay-green drought adaptation trait in sorghum in order to enhance yield in water-limited environments. Stay-green, a delayed leaf senescence phenotype in sorghum, is primarily an emergent consequence of the improved balance between the supply and demand of water. Positional and functional fine-mapping of candidate genes associated with stay-green in sorghum is the focus of an international research partnership between Australian (UQ/DAFFQ) and US (Texas A&M University) scientists. Stay-green was initially mapped to four chromosomal regions (Stg1, Stg2, Stg3, and Stg4) by a number of research groups in the US and Australia. Physiological dissection of near-isolines containing single introgressions of Stg QTL (Stg1-4) indicate that these QTL reduce water demand before flowering by constricting the size of the canopy, thereby increasing water availability during grain filling and, ultimately, grain yield. Stg and root angle QTL are also co-located and, together with crop water use data, suggest the role of roots in the stay-green phenomenon. Candidate genes have been identified in Stg1-4, including genes from the PIN family of auxin efflux carriers in Stg1 and Stg2, with 10 of 11 PIN genes in sorghum co-locating with Stg QTL. Modified gene expression in some of these PIN candidates in the stay-green compared with the senescent types has been found in preliminary RNA expression profiling studies. Further proof-of-function studies are underway, including comparative genomics, SNP analysis to assess diversity at candidate genes, reverse genetics and transformation.

Bycatch and strandings programs as ecological indicators for data-limited cetaceans

An integrated approach of using strandings and bycatch data may provide an indicator of long-term trends for data-limited cetaceans. Strandings programs can give a faithful representation of the species composition of cetacean assemblages, while standardised bycatch rates can provide a measure of relative abundance. Comparing the two datasets may also facilitate managing impacts by understanding which species, sex or sizes are the most vulnerable to interactions with fisheries gear. Here we apply this approach to two long-term datasets in East Australia, bycatch in the Queensland Shark Control Program QSCP, 1992–2012) and strandings in the Queensland Marine Wildlife Strandings and Mortality Program StrandNet, 1996–2012). Short-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, were markedly more frequent in bycatch than in the strandings dataset, suggesting that they are more prone to being incidentally caught than other cetacean species in the region. The reverse was true for humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops spp.; and species predominantly found in offshore waters. QSCP bycatch was strongly skewed towards females for short-beaked common dolphins, and towards smaller sizes for Australian humpback dolphins, Sousa sahulensis. Overall, both datasets demonstrated similar seasonality and a similar long-term increase from 1996 until 2008. Analysis on a species-by-species basis was then used to explore potential explanations for long-term trends, which ranged from a recovering stock (humpback whales) to a shift in habitat use (short-beaked common dolphins).

Restoration of symmetry by radiative corrections

It is shown using an explicit model that radiative corrections can restore the symmetry of a system which may appear to be broken at the classical level. This is the reverse of the phenomenon demonstrated by Coleman and Weinberg. Our model is different from theirs, but the techniques are the same. The calculations are done up to the two-loop level and it is shown that the two-loop contribution is much smaller than the one-loop contribution, indicating good convergence of the loop expansion.

Explosive sensitivity of methylammonium perchlorates

The explosive sensitivity of methylammonium perchlorates has been investigated by differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectrometry and explosion delay experiments. The decomposition temperature of these compounds increases in the order CH3NH3ClO4>(CH3)2NH2ClO4>(CH3)3NHClO4. The activation energy shows the reverse order, indicating thereby that the stability increases with increasing substitution. Mass spectrometric investigation, however, suggests an increasing reactivity with increasing substitution. A possible explanation for such behaviour is proposed. It appears that explosion delay is correlated with thermal decomposition and impact sensitivity.

Bycatch and strandings programs as ecological indicators for data-limited cetaceans

An integrated approach of using strandings and bycatch data may provide an indicator of long-term trends for data-limited cetaceans. Strandings programs can give a faithful representation of the species composition of cetacean assemblages, while standardised bycatch rates can provide a measure of relative abundance. Comparing the two datasets may also facilitate managing impacts by understanding which species, sex or sizes are the most vulnerable to interactions with fisheries gear. Here we apply this approach to two long-term datasets in East Australia, bycatch in the Queensland Shark Control Program (QSCP, 1992–2012) and strandings in the Queensland Marine Wildlife Strandings and Mortality Program (StrandNet, 1996–2012). Short-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, were markedly more frequent in bycatch than in the strandings dataset, suggesting that they are more prone to being incidentally caught than other cetacean species in the region. The reverse was true for humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops spp.; and species predominantly found in offshore waters. QSCP bycatch was strongly skewed towards females for short-beaked common dolphins, and towards smaller sizes for Australian humpback dolphins, Sousa sahulensis. Overall, both datasets demonstrated similar seasonality and a similar long-term increase from 1996 until 2008. Analysis on a species-by-species basis was then used to explore potential explanations for long-term trends, which ranged from a recovering stock (humpback whales) to a shift in habitat use (short-beaked common dolphins).

Natural Hendra Virus Infection in Flying-Foxes - Tissue Tropism and Risk Factors

Hendra virus (HeV) is a lethal zoonotic agent that emerged in 1994 in Australia. Pteropid bats (flying-foxes) are the natural reservoir. To date, HeV has spilled over from flying-foxes to horses on 51 known occasions, and from infected horses to close-contact humans on seven occasions. We undertook screening of archived bat tissues for HeV by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Tissues were tested from 310 bats including 295 Pteropodiformes and 15 Vespertilioniformes. HeV was detected in 20 individual flying-foxes (6.4%) from various tissues including spleen, kidney, liver, lung, placenta and blood components. Detection was significantly higher in Pteropus Alecto and Pconspicillatus, identifying species as a risk factor for infection. Further, our findings indicate that HeV has a predilection for the spleen, suggesting this organ plays an important role in HeV infection. The lack of detections in the foetal tissues of HeV-positive females suggests that vertical transmission is not a regular mode of transmission in naturally infected flying-foxes, and that placental and foetal tissues are not a major source of infection for horses. A better understanding of HeV tissue tropism will strengthen management of the risk of spillover from flying-foxes to horses and ultimately humans.