Abstract: A data layout mechanism is described for allocating metadata within a storage system employing data striping. The data layout mechanism includes a number of storage devices, each of the storage devices having storage spaces allocated to store individual data stripe units associated with a number of stripes. The data layout mechanism further includes a plurality of metadata chunks allocated within the storage devices such that (1) metadata associated with at least two data stripe units of the same stripe is stored within a single metadata chunk, and (2) the metadata chunks are evenly distributed across the storage devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for modulating leukocyte activation. Nucleic acids encoding proteins and proteins so encoded which are capable of modulating leukocyte activation are provided. Compositions and methods for the treatment of disorders related to leukocyte dysfunction or dysregulation are also provided. Prophylactics and methods for the prevention of such disorders are also provided. Also provided are compositions and methods for diagnostic and prognostic determination of such disorders. Further provided are assays for the identification of bioactive agents capable of modulating leukocyte activation.

Abstract: A method for detecting a phantom write error in a data storage system is described. In one embodiment, upon receiving a read command pertaining to a data block stored on a storage medium, two version identifiers associated with the data block are compared. A first version identifier is stored within the data block and a second version identifier is stored outside of the data block. If the version identifiers do not match, the possible occurrence of a phantom write error is detected.

Abstract: A protein belonging to the TNF superfamily called TRANCE involved in signal transduction, along with nucleic acids comprising DNA sequences and degenerate variants thereof which encode TRANCE are disclosed. Modulators which are TRANCE agonists and TRANCE antagonists are also disclosed, and can be used in pharmaceutical compositions and methods disclosed herein to modulate the active life of mature dendritic cells, T cell activation, and immune response in mammal.

Abstract: A file is striped across multiple filers, file servers or other devices, to create a sparsely striped multi-component file. Each filer stores one sparse component. In particular, each component physically stores only those stripes allocated to that component. The other stripes are represented as holes. Thus, instead of contiguously packing each component's stripes at the block level, each component is a file having the same logical structure. A component of a sparsely striped multi-component file can be easily converted to a mirror by filling in its holes. Similarly, a mirror can be easily converted to one component of a sparsely striped multi-component file by removing or ignoring it unallocated stripes. In either case, the layout or logical of the component does not need to be reconfigured.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating a consistent point-in-time copy (PITC). A data provider offers access to data by one or more clients. A client issues a PITC request for a set of data to the data provider, or the provider initiates its own request. The data provider instructs one or more clients, particularly clients accessing the set of data, to flush any pending updates involving the files. The clients acknowledge the flush request, flush their data, and notify the data provider when their flushes are complete. Post-consistency updates are deferred (e.g., using a write-aside buffer). If a client fails to acknowledge the flush request or notify of flush completion, the data provider may abort the PITC or continue because the data may not be consistent or consistency may not be assured. If not aborted, the PITC may be marked to indicate that it is incomplete.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for modulating B-lymphocyte activation. Nucleic acids encoding proteins and proteins so encoded which are capable of modulating B-lymphocyte activation are provided. Compositions and methods for the treatment of disorders related to dysfunction or dysregulation of B-lymphocyte activation are also provided. Prophylactics and methods for the prevention of such disorders are also provided. Also provided are compositions and methods for diagnostic and prognostic determination of such disorders. Further provided are assays for the identification of bioactive agents capable of modulating B-lymphocyte activation.

Abstract: In a packet detector, one or more tests are performed for packet detection according to packet detection parameters associated with the one or more tests, a rate of false detection is measured, and the packet detection parameters are adjusted accordingly to reduce the rate of false detection. The rate of false detection might be determined by analyzing post-detection and processing of a signal deemed to be a signal representing a packet for a failure of decoding indicative of a false detection. Such analysis might include testing for a failed SFD search, training symbol anomalies, poor conditioning of metrics used to determine frequency offset and OFDM timing, incorrect data fields, or the like.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for non-contact determination of liquid concentrations such as the content of water, oil, dye, paint, fuel, glue, etc., in a moving or stationary mass of production such as wood, paper, powders, fabrics, sand, bricks, concrete, plants, and the like, or in other liquids such as oil spills in water, is provided. The method comprises measuring the passive emissivity of a substance, using an imaging radiometer. It has been found that an emissivity image may be used to quantify the liquid content in a substance. The invented method allows for non-contact, rapid and continuous in-line measurements.

Abstract: A method for embedding integrity metadata. In one exemplary embodiment, a plurality of integrity metadata segments is determined. Each integrity metadata segment is associated with a segment of user data. The user data is mapped to a plurality of physical sectors, each physical sector containing a segment of user data and the associated integrity metadata segment. For one exemplary embodiment, a common I/O data block size is determined, and its data is mapped into a number of 512-byte sectors. The number of 512-byte sectors corresponds to the number required for the common I/O data block size plus one or more additional 512-byte sectors. This creates additional space in each sector to accommodate the integrity metadata. Integrity metadata for each data segment of the common I/O size is determined. The integrity metadata for each sector is mapped to the additional space of each sector.

Abstract: Fishermen Poker is a 9 cards draw poker game (two decks) with bonus when the house dealer is involved in playing. Players can surrender their hand. It is a 14 cards draw poker game (four decks) when the house dealer is not involved in playing, just providing service. Both two decks Fishermen poker and four decks Fishermen Poker are allowing players to use the same strategies, such as, discard cards, draw cards with additional wagers, pass and fold to play against to dealer or other players. Players have to use their best 5 cards to compare to each other or compare with dealer's best 5 cards. The higher rank poker hand wins the game.

Abstract: Ace Deuce Poker is blend card game with the idea of Bridge game, Chinese 13 cards poker game and traditional poker game. Players have to use the poker ranking hand to get rid of the cards (13 cards) in their hand. It is a player against player poker game; house dealer just provides the service. The player gets rid of all the cards first won the pot.

Abstract: The present invention relates to regulation of the cell cycle. More particularly, the present invention is directed to nucleic acids encoding components of the ubiquitin ligation pathway, e.g., ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like molecules, E1, E2, and E3 proteins and their substrates, which are involved in modulation of cell cycle arrest. The invention further relates to methods for identifying and using agents, including small molecule chemical compositions, antibodies, peptides, cyclic peptides, nucleic acids, RNAi, antisense nucleic acids, and ribozymes, that modulate cell cycle arrest via modulation of the ubiquitin ligation pathway; as well as to the use of expression profiles and compositions in diagnosis and therapy related to cell cycle regulation and modulation of cellular proliferation, e.g., for treatment of cancer and other diseases of cellular proliferation.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for validating data using version identifier IMD along with at least one other type of IMD embedded within a data block. Each type of IMD corresponds to a data verification operation. In conjunction, the multiple data verification operations protect against a larger class of data corruption errors than each would individually. For one embodiment, a data block is accessed, the data block being one of a plurality of data blocks mapped to a physical sector. Each of the data blocks contains a user data segment and an associated IMD segment. Each of the IMD segments includes a version identifier IMD and at least one other type of IMD. The data block is validated by verifying the version identifier IMD and at least one of the at least one other type of IMD.

Abstract: Diagnosis of corruption in interrelated data entities uses a graph of nodes and edges. Datum nodes represent the data entities, relationship nodes represent the relationships among the data entities. The datum nodes are connected through their relationship nodes by the edges. When corruption is detected, the relationships are analyzed and each edge connecting a datum node to a relationship node is removed from the graph when the corresponding relationship is invalid. The datum nodes that remain connected to their relationship nodes form a subgraph and the corresponding data entities are considered correct. In one aspect, if more than one subgraph is formed, the datum nodes in the largest are used. In another aspect, the data entities and relationships are analyzed to create the graph when the data entities are assumed correct. The data entities may be data and metadata of various types that can be associated with the data.

Abstract: A method for storing integrity metadata in a data storage system disk array. Integrity metadata is determined for each data stripe unit of a stripe in a disk array employing striped parity architecture. The number of physical sectors required to store the integrity metadata is determined. Sufficient data storage space, adjacent to the data stripe unit containing parity data for the stripe, is allocated for the storage of integrity metadata. The integrity metadata is stored next to the parity data. For one embodiment, a RAID 5 architecture is extended so that integrity metadata for each stripe is stored adjacent to the parity data for each stripe.

Abstract: A method for detecting errors in streaming media devices is described. In one embodiment, when a command to write a block of data to a streaming media device is received, integrity metadata associated with the data block is attached to the data block and written to the streaming media device together with the data block. Subsequently, when a read command pertaining to this data block is received, new integrity metadata is determined and compared to the attached metadata. If the new integrity metadata does not match the attached metadata, an error message is generated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to regulation of inflammation. More particularly, the present invention is directed to nucleic acids encoding components of the ubiquitin ligation pathway, e.g., ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like molecules, E1, E2, and E3 proteins and their substrates, which are involved in modulation of the inflammatory process. The invention further relates to methods for identifying and using agents, including small molecule chemical compositions, antibodies, peptides, cyclic peptides, nucleic acids, RNAi, antisense nucleic acids, and ribozymes, that modulate the inflammatory process via modulation of the ubiquitin ligation pathway; as well as to the use of expression profiles and compositions in diagnosis and therapy related to regulation of inflammation and modulation of cytokine signaling involved in inflammation, e.g., for treatment of infection, autoimmune disease and other diseases related to the inflammatory process.

Abstract: Provided are methods and compositions for assaying for deubiquitinating agents that are enzymatic components of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and, their function, and agents that modulate the activity of such deubiquitinating agents.

Abstract: The present attention is directed to compositions and methods for performing functional assays to determine the physiological role of ubiquitin agents and ubiquitin moieties.