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We present a framework for grid database replication. Data replication is one of the most useful strategies to achieve high levels of availability and fault tolerance as well as minimal access time in grids. It is commonly demanded by many grid applications. However, most existing grid replication systems only deal with read-only files. By contrast, several relational database vendors provide tools that offer transaction-based replication, but the capabilities of these products are insufficient to address grid issues.

Currently, the analysis of gene expression data generated by microarray and real-time PCR experiments is a slow process, often taking several weeks to properly process data from a small number of patients. In anticipation of a new clinical trial expected to involve 200 patients it is necessary to improve the efficiency of these analyses, through automation, in order to return meaningful biological data on a much shorter time scale.

The application of mRNA gene expression microarrays has proven to be an invaluable tool for the elucidation of mechanisms of diverse biological processes at the molecular level. In a microarray experiment, several thousands of genes are investigated in parallel. Mainly due to the high costs of the microarrays, gene expression studies are normally carried out with a rather limited set of conditions and repetitions, featuring an experimental design that focuses on a few very specific research questions.