Efficient Task Replication for Fast Response Times in Parallel Computation

One typical use case of large-scale distributed computing in data centers is to decompose a computation job into many independent tasks and run them in parallel on different machines, sometimes known as the "embarrassingly parallel" computation. For this type of computation, one challenge is that the time to execute a task for each machine is inherently variable, and the overall response time is constrained by the execution time of the slowest machine. To address this issue, system designers introduce task replication, which sends the same task to multiple machines, and obtains result from the machine that finishes first. While task replication reduces response time, it usually increases resource usage. In this work, we propose a theoretical framework to analyze the trade-off between response time and resource usage. We show that, while in general, there is a tension between response time and resource usage, there exist scenarios where replicating tasks judiciously reduces completion time and resource usage simultaneously. Given the execution time distribution for machines, we investigate the conditions for a scheduling policy to achieve optimal performance trade-off, and propose efficient algorithms to search for optimal or near-optimal scheduling policies. Our analysis gives insights on when and why replication helps, which can be used to guide scheduler design in large-scale distributed computing systems.Comment: Extended version of the 2-page paper accepted to ACM SIGMETRICS 201

Defect tolerance: fundamental limits and examples

This paper addresses the problem of adding redundancy to a collection of physical objects so that the overall system is more robust to failures. In contrast to its information counterpart, which can exploit parity to protect multiple information symbols from a single erasure, physical redundancy can only be realized through duplication and substitution of objects. We propose a bipartite graph model for designing defect-tolerant systems, in which the defective objects are replaced by the judiciously connected redundant objects. The fundamental limits of this model are characterized under various asymptotic settings and both asymptotic and finite-size systems that approach these limits are constructed. Among other results, we show that the simple modular redundancy is in general suboptimal. As we develop, this combinatorial problem of defect tolerant system design has a natural interpretation as one of graph coloring, and the analysis is significantly different from that traditionally used in information redundancy for error-control codes.©201

Efficiency of low versus high airline pressure in stunning cattle with a pneumatically powered penetrating captive bolt gun

The efficiency of stunning cattle was assessed in 443 animals (304 pure Zebu and 139 crossbred cattle), being mainly mature bulls and cows. Cattle were stunned using a Jarvis pneumatically powered penetrating captive bolt gun operating with low (160–175 psi, N = 82) and high (190 psi, N = 363) airline pressure, which was within the manufactures specifications. Signs of brain function and the position of the shots on the heads were recorded after stunning. Velocity of the captive bolt and its physical parameters were calculated. Cattle shot with low pressures showed more rhythmic respiration (27 vs. 8%, P < 0.001), less tongue protrusion (4 vs. 12%, P = 0.03) and less masseter relaxation (22 vs. 48%, P < 0.001). There was an increased frequency of shots in the ideal position when cattle were shot with the low compared to high airline pressures (15.3 vs. 3.1%). Bolt velocity and its physical parameters were significantly (P < 0.01) higher when using high pressure. Airline pressures below 190 psi are inappropriate when shooting adult Zebu beef cattle with pneumatically powered penetrating captive bolt guns

Dark-ages Reionization and Galaxy Formation Simulation -- XIX: Predictions of infrared excess and cosmic star formation rate density from UV observations

We present a new analysis of high-redshift UV observations using a semi-analytic galaxy formation model, and provide self-consistent predictions of the infrared excess (IRX) -- $\beta$ relations and cosmic star formation rate density. We combine the Charlot & Fall dust attenuation model with the Meraxes semi-analytic model, and explore three different parametrisations for the dust optical depths, linked to star formation rate, dust-to-gas ratio and gas column density respectively. A Bayesian approach is employed to statistically calibrate model free parameters including star formation efficiency, mass loading factor, dust optical depths and reddening slope directly against UV luminosity functions and colour-magnitude relations at z ~ 4-7. The best-fit models show excellent agreement with the observations. We calculate IRX using energy balance arguments, and find that the large intrinsic scatter in the IRX -$\beta$ plane is driven by the specific star formation rate. Additionally, the difference among the three dust models suggests a factor of two systematic uncertainty in the dust-corrected star formation rate when using the Meurer IRX - $\beta$ relation at z > 4.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figure. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Narrativas alimentares e suas relações de poder

O I Encontro Internacional do MALOCA Grupo de Estudos Multidisciplinares em Urbanismos e Arquiteturas do Sul teve por objetivo apresentar os resultados do seu primeiro triênio (2014-2016) e debater os rumos das pesquisas do grupo para o triênio 2017-2019. Divulgamos agora os Anais Eletrônicos do I Encontro, que aconteceu em outubro de 2017 na Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (UNILA). Confiram no link: https://revistas.unila.edu.br/anaismaloca/index :)Este artigo busca discutir as relações de poder em narrativas alimentares de pescadores de Foz do Iguaçu. Faz-se um ruminar de discussões alimentares através de memórias de pescadores da localidade e suas relações com a comida. O procedimento metodológico adotado neste trabalho busca interpretar dados obtidos através destas narrativas, sendo considerada uma pesquisa oral temática. Além das entrevistas, a pesquisa conta com levantamento bibliográfico sobre diversos temas que surgiram no decorrer das análises, como poder simbólico (Pierre Bourdieu, 1996), relações de poder (Michel Foucault, 1971 e 2003), memória (Michael Pollak, 1992) e alimentação (Jesús Contreras e Mabel Gracia, 2011). Estas discussões estão presentes em relatos sobre o peixe de primeira e o peixe de segunda e a comida do caboclo versus a comida italiana. Corrobora a tese de que a comida é simbólica e reflete a cultura, o meio e os aspectos que circundam aqueles que a escolhem e a ingerem. No conjunto do levantamento realizado espera-se constituir bases que colaboram para uma compreensão transdisciplinar sobre o aspecto alimentar, ressaltando a alimentação como uma das temáticas das ciências sociais.Grupo de Estudos Multidisciplinar em Urbanismo e Arquitetura do Sul - MALOC

Lossy compression of permutations

We investigate the lossy compression of permutations by analyzing the trade-off between the size of a source code and the distortion with respect to Kendall tau distance, Spearman's footrule, Chebyshev distance and ℓ[subscript 1] distance of inversion vectors. We show that given two permutations, Kendall tau distance upper bounds the ℓ[subscript 1] distance of inversion vectors and a scaled version of Kendall tau distance lower bounds the ℓ[subscript 1] distance of inversion vectors with high probability, which indicates an equivalence of the source code designs under these two distortion measures. Similar equivalence is established for all the above distortion measures, every one of which has different operational significance and applications in ranking and sorting. These findings show that an optimal coding scheme for one distortion measure is effectively optimal for other distortion measures above.United States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant FA9550-11-1-0183)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CCF-1017772

A simple class of efficient compression schemes supporting local access and editing

In this paper, we study the problem of compressing a collection of sequences of variable length that allows us to efficiently add, read, or edit an arbitrary sequence without decompressing the whole data. This problem has important applications in data servers, file-editing systems, and bioinformatics. We propose a novel and practical compression scheme, which shows that, by paying a small price in storage space (3% extra storage space in our examples), we can retrieve or edit a sequence (a few hundred bits) by accessing compressed bits close to the entropy of the sequence.United States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant FA9550-11-1-0183)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CCF-1017772

Field Theory for a Deuteron Quantum Liquid

Based on general symmetry principles we study an effective Lagrangian for a neutral system of condensed spin-1 deuteron nuclei and electrons, at greater-than-atomic but less-than-nuclear densities. We expect such matter to be present in thin layers within certain low-mass brown dwarfs. It may also be produced in future shock-wave-compression experiments as an effective fuel for laser induced nuclear fusion. We find a background solution of the effective theory describing a net spin zero condensate of deuterons with their spins aligned and anti-aligned in a certain spontaneously emerged preferred direction. The spectrum of low energy collective excitations contains two spin waves with linear dispersions -- like in antiferromagnets -- as well as gapped longitudinal and transverse modes related to the Meissner effect -- like in superconductors. We show that counting of the Nambu-Goldstone modes of spontaneously broken internal and space-time symmetries obeys, in a nontrivial way, the rules of the Goldstone theorem for Lorentz non-invariant systems. We discuss thermodynamic properties of the condensate, and its potential manifestation in the low-mass brown dwarfs.Comment: 19 LaTeX pages; v2: 2 refs added, JHEP versio

A validation of the Oswestry Spinal Risk Index

Purpose The purpose of this study was to validate the Oswestry Spinal Risk Index (OSRI) in an external population. The OSRI predicts survival in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC). Methods We analysed the data of 100 patients undergoing surgical intervention for MSCC at a tertiary spinal unit and recorded the primary tumour pathology and Karnofsky performance status to calculate the OSRI. Logistic regression models and survival plots were applied to the data in accordance with the original paper. Results Lower OSRI scores predicted longer survival. The OSRI score predicted survival accurately in 74% of cases (p = 0.004). Conclusions Our study has found that the OSRI is a significant predictor of survival at levels similar to those of the original authors and is a useful and simple tool in aiding complex decision making in patients presenting with MSC