Computational network federations: a middleware architecture for network-based computing

Computational Network Federations (CNFs) enable an arbitrary set of heterogeneous hosts which are connected via any type of network to form dynamic virtual distributed systems that cooperate to execute an application, or serve as generalized application service platforms to end users. CNFs motivate a view of the Internet as a vast unified host: a repository of information, application services, and an omnipresent supercomputing resource regardless of the type of access device or access methodology. CNFs provide a powerful way of virtualizing generalized enterprise networks (or even the Internet), and an economic and resilient model for deploying enterprise applications, (such as CRM) and peer-2-peer services (e.g., chatrooms). This paper describes a middleware architecture that enables network-based computing, communications, and services through a unified, access, and platform-independent approach. CNFs borrow from the capabilities of grid computing and aim toward intelligent computational service networks that are ubiquitous, secure, and adaptive to user and access-method idiosyncrasies. CNFs encompass a set of abstractions and interfaces that provide: 1) a unified service-oriented view of the network to the user; 2) a homogeneous host abstraction to applications; and 3) a shared-memory abstraction to software developers. This paper outlines the architecture of CNFs and describes in more detail i-DVM, a distributed multithreaded meta-OS that forms the core of a CNF and implements the virtual machine abstraction and location transparency.     

Observation of inter-subunit nuclear Overhauser effects in a dimeric protein. Application to the Arc repressor

This study was undertaken to examine the incidence and conditions under which lymph node metastases are present and patterns of recurrence in women with uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) and endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS), excluding malignant mixed mesodermal tumors. From 1981 through 1991, 21 women with LMS and 10 women with ESS were treated. Retroperitoneal lymph node dissections were performed in 15 women with LMS and 7 women with ESS. In the women with LMS, 4/15 (26.7%) had lymph node metastases; in each there was disseminated intra-abdominal disease. In the 7 women with ESS, there were no lymph node metastases present. Ten women (47%) with LMS developed recurrences, and 3 (14%) had persistent disease. In the 10 women with ESS, 3 (30%) had recurrences, and 1 (10%) had persistent disease. In total, recurrences involved the lung in 84% of cases. Of the 13 women with recurrences, 7 had undergone lymph node sampling, and all were negative; 4 additional women had no evidence of adenopathy on abdominal-pelvic CT scan. Lymph node metastases were found only with extrauterine disease, and in all of these cases there was rapid progression of the sarcoma. Women without extrauterine disease did not have lymph node metastases detected; however, there was still a high rate (40%) of distant failure. Knowledge of lymph node status had minimal impact on the clinical management of women with uterine LMS and ESS.     

Comparison of the safety and immunogenicity of the lyophilized Mérieux seed and the World Health Organization working reference BCG vaccines in school-aged children in Senegal

In order to validate two new lots of Mérieux BCG vaccine (Mérieux seed derived from strain 1072), a calibration study was performed to compare their safety and immunogenicity to a full dose of the WHO-reference BCG vaccine (Tokyo strain 172) as well as the WHO-reference vaccine given at 1/10 of its normal concentration, in an open, randomized, four-arm, multicenter study in Senegal. A total of 1041 healthy Senegalese children aged 8-10 years were screened for participation in this study, of whom 548 had a negative Mantoux test and complied with inclusion and exclusion criteria. These children were randomly allocated a single dose of one of the following vaccines: full-dose Mérieux BCG vaccine (lot E0650); full-dose Mérieux BCG vaccine (lot E0624); full-dose WHO-reference vaccine (Tokyo strain 172); or 1/10 dose WHO-reference vaccine. A follow-up examination, including a tuberculin test, was performed 10-12 weeks after BCG vaccination for 465 (85%) children: 236 Mérieux BCG vaccine (117 lot E0650; 119 lot E0624); 115 full-dose WHO; 114 1/10 dose WHO. The percentage of subjects with a positive tuberculin test after vaccination was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the 1/10 dose group (81.5%) compared to the other three groups (> 96%). The mean induration diameter was significantly smaller in subjects who received the low-dose of WHO vaccine compared to the others, according to analyses considering all subjects vaccinated, as well as only those subjects with a positive tuberculin test after vaccination. More children in the low-dose group did not have a vaccination scar, and the mean diameter of scars was smaller in this group. The rate of tuberculin reactions, the classification of reactions (Palmer and Edwards), and the characteristics of the vaccinal lesion were similar for the Mérieux BCG vaccines and the full-dose WHO-reference vaccine. All vaccines were safe, as evidenced by the absence of adenitis or suppurative adenitis during the course of the study. Results from this trial show that the two lots of Mérieux BCG vaccine behave equally as well as the full-dose WHO-reference BCG vaccine. The WHO-reference vaccine, given at 1/10 of its normal concentration was significantly less immunogenic, according to all parameters evaluated.     

Mapping the locus of the H-Y gene on the human Y chromosome

The H-Y locus is on the short arm of the human Y chromosome in most individuals but on the long arm in at least one of 17 individuals with structural abnormalities of the Y.