LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Endpoint-Based Call Admission Control and Resource Management for VoWLAN

This paper examines two specific aspects of resource management in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs)-Call Admission Control (CAC) and handling of Link Adaptation (LA) events. A self-consistent system to manage these for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) over an IEEE 802.11 WLAN is presented. The proposed CAC scheme is based on the Endpoint Admission Control (EAC) paradigm, where the endpoints probe the network to determine if the call can be supported with acceptable Quality of Service (QoS). The proposed scheme was evaluated on an experimental testbed and test results show that correct admission decisions were made under various network configurations. The scheme also determines if LA has resulted in the system becoming congested and, if so, the voice codec of the handset which has undergone LA is adapted so as to restore the system to its earlier state, thereby alleviating the congestion. The proposed scheme was evaluated on the experimental testbed and test results show that the codec adaptation scheme was very effective at overcoming the effects of LA for VoIP over WLAN.
Allocation and scheduling of network resource for multiple control applications in SDN

The network resource allocation in SDN for control applications is becoming a key problem in the near future because of the conflict between the need of the flow-level flexibility control and the limited capacity of flow table. Based on the analysis of the difference of the definition of network resource between SDN and traditional IP network, the idea of the integrated allocation of link bandwidth and flow table for multiple control applications in SDN is proposed in this paper. Furthermore, a price-based joint allocation model of network resource in SDN is built by introducing the price for each of the resources, which can get the proportional fair allocation of link bandwidth and the minimum global delay at the same time. We have also designed a popular flow scheduling policy based on the proportional fair allocation of link bandwidth in order to achieve the minimum global delay. A flow scheduling module has been implemented and evaluated in Floodlight, named virtual forwarding space (VFS). VFS can not only implement the fair allocation of link bandwidth and minimum delay flow scheduling in data plane but also accelerate packet forwarding by looking up control rules in control plane.
Exploiting Optimization for Local Graph Clustering

Local graph clustering methods aim to identify well-connected clusters around a given “seed set” of reference nodes. The main focus of prior theoretical work has been on worst-case running time properties or on implicit statistical regularization; and the focus of prior empirical work has been to identify structure in large social and information networks. Here, we adopt an optimization perspective on local graph clustering methods. In particular, we clarify the relationship between the local spectral algorithm of [3] and a variant of a well-studied optimization objective. This insight permits us to develop a local spectral graph clustering algorithm that has improved theoretical convergence properties. We also demonstrate the numerical performance of this optimization-based algorithm and some heuristic variants of it.
Fungal isolates from natural pectic substrates for polygalacturonase and multienzyme production

Pectin rich wastes and waste dump yard soils were screened and eighty pectinolytic fungal isolates were obtained by enrichment culturing and ruthenium red plate assay. Eight isolates with higher zones of pectin hydrolysis were selected and tested for polygalacturonase production. One isolate identified as Aspergillus awamori MTCC 9166 with highest polygalacturonase activity was tested for utilization of raw pectins for enzyme production. Polygalacturonase production was high in raw pectin sources like Orange peel (16.8 U/ml) Jack fruit rind (38 U/ml) Carrot peel (36U/ml) and Beet root peel (24U/ml). Selected Aspergillus awamori MTCC 9166 was found to be having good polygalacturonase, xylanase, cellulase and weak amylase and protease activities. This isolate with multi-enzyme production could have application for enzymes production and degradation of fruit and vegetable waste in the process of urban waste disposal.
The Effects of Overlearning and Distributed Practise on the Retention of Mathematics Knowledge

In two experiments, 216 college students learned to solve one kind of mathematics problem before completing one of various practise schedules. In Experiment 1, students either massed 10 problems in a single session or distributed these 10 problems across two sessions separated by 1 week. The benefit of distributed practise was nil among students who were tested 1 week later but extremely large among students tested 4 weeks later. In Experiment 2, students completed three or nine practise problems in one session. The additional six problems constituted a strategy known as overlearning, but this extra effort had no effect on test scores 1 or 4 weeks later. Thus, long-term retention was boosted by distributed practise and unaffected by overlearning. Unfortunately, most mathematics textbooks rely on a format that emphasises overlearning and minimises distributed practise. An easily adopted alternative format is advocated. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A brain-actuated wheelchair: Asynchronous and non-invasive Brain–computer interfaces for continuous control of robots

OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility and robustness of an asynchronous and non-invasive EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) for continuous mental control of a wheelchair.


METHODS
In experiment 1 two subjects were asked to mentally drive both a real and a simulated wheelchair from a starting point to a goal along a pre-specified path. Here we only report experiments with the simulated wheelchair for which we have extensive data in a complex environment that allows a sound analysis. Each subject participated in five experimental sessions, each consisting of 10 trials. The time elapsed between two consecutive experimental sessions was variable (from 1h to 2months) to assess the system robustness over time. The pre-specified path was divided into seven stretches to assess the system robustness in different contexts. To further assess the performance of the brain-actuated wheelchair, subject 1 participated in a second experiment consisting of 10 trials where he was asked to drive the simulated wheelchair following 10 different complex and random paths never tried before.


RESULTS
In experiment 1 the two subjects were able to reach 100% (subject 1) and 80% (subject 2) of the final goals along the pre-specified trajectory in their best sessions. Different performances were obtained over time and path stretches, what indicates that performance is time and context dependent. In experiment 2, subject 1 was able to reach the final goal in 80% of the trials.


CONCLUSIONS
The results show that subjects can rapidly master our asynchronous EEG-based BCI to control a wheelchair. Also, they can autonomously operate the BCI over long periods of time without the need for adaptive algorithms externally tuned by a human operator to minimize the impact of EEG non-stationarities. This is possible because of two key components: first, the inclusion of a shared control system between the BCI system and the intelligent simulated wheelchair; second, the selection of stable user-specific EEG features that maximize the separability between the mental tasks.


SIGNIFICANCE
These results show the feasibility of continuously controlling complex robotics devices using an asynchronous and non-invasive BCI.
Sagittal Spinopelvic Parameters in Scheuermann's Kyphosis: A Preliminary Study.

STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective, controlled, clinical study.


OBJECTIVES
To define the average values for sagittal spinopelvic parameters including pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), and sacral slope (SS) in Scheuermann's kyphosis (SK); evaluate the differences in spinopelvic parameters among patients with SK and unaffected normal controls; and evaluate the correlation of various sagittal spinopelvic parameters to each other in SK and normal controls.


METHODS
Prospectively collected radiographic data from a study on SK were compared with those from previously published series of unaffected patients. Measures were made according to standard, defined measurement methods. Parameters measured included PT, PI, SS, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and radiographic sagittal alignment. Values were compared using independent-samples t test. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze relationships between variables.


RESULTS
A total of 47 patients with SK and 50 control patients, mean age 16.1 and 13.5 years, respectively, were included. In SK, average PI was 42°, average PT was 7°, and average SS was 35°. These values were not different from those of normal controls (PI, 46° [p = .084]; PT, 8° [p = .476]; SS, 37° [p = .162]). Pelvic incidence directly correlated with lordosis in both groups (p < .005). T5-12 kyphosis correlated with lordosis in normal controls (p ≤ .05) but not in the SK group. Kyphosis in SK as quantified by greatest measurable Cobb angle did not correlate with PI or lordosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Sagittal pelvic alignment in patients with SK is not different from that in normal subjects. Furthermore, in SK thoracic kyphosis did not correlate with any distal region of the spine (lumbar or pelvic). Further understanding of the relationship between sagittal spinopelvic alignment in various conditions causing spinal deformity will lead to better treatment of these conditions.
Development of a virtualized networking lab using GNS3 and VMware workstation

Many universities offer students to work on live networking equipment. Unfortunately this is not very efficient for teaching networking labs, especially if the size of the class is really large. The aim of this project is to create a virtual lab to help overcome the existing issues of limited hardware and accessibility in physical laboratories. The lab gives students the ability to deploy virtual instances of real life network devices. This lab will run within a single physical computer, hence providing a cheap and accessible solution for performing network practicals.
Novelty detection: a review - part 2: : neural network based approaches

Novelty detection is the ident ification of new or unknown data or signal that a machine learning system is not aware of during training. In this paper we focus on neural network based approaches for novelty detection. Statistical approaches are covered in part-I paper.
Natural Language Annotations for Question Answering

This paper presents strategies and lessons learned from the use of natural language annotations to facilitate question answering in the START information access system.
The benefits of international health experiences for Australian and New Zealand medical education.

Despite the emergence and establishment of global health as an academic discipline, it largely resides within public health education and practice, and is typically taught and learnt within Master of Public Health programs, rather than through experiences within mainstream medical education. In Australian and New Zealand medical programs, clinical learning with a global health focus is generally achieved through the inclusion of clinical placement electives that permit student-initiated and organised international health experiences (IHEs). In cases where the IHEs are arranged by the university, they are generally short and optional.
Factors associated with benign multiple sclerosis in the New York State MS Consortium (NYSMSC)

BACKGROUND
This retrospective analysis explored prognostic factors associated with a benign multiple sclerosis (BMS) disease course at baseline and over the 4-year follow-up.


METHODS
Patients from the centralized New York State Multiple Sclerosis Consortium registry were classified as having BMS according to 3 different criteria centered on disease duration and disability. Additional analyses explored prognostic factors associated with BMS using the most conservative disability criteria (Expanded Disability Status Scale ≤2 and disease duration ≥10 years).


RESULTS
Among 6258 patients who fulfilled eligibility criteria, 19.8 % to 33.3 % were characterized as having BMS, at baseline depending on classification criteria used. Positive prognostic factors for BMS at baseline included female sex (p < 0.0001) and younger age at onset (p < 0.0001); negative prognostic factors included progressive-onset type of MS and African-American race. Of the 1237 BMS patients (per most conservative criteria), 742 were followed for a median of 4 years to explore effect of disease-modifying treatment (DMT) on benign status. DMT (p = 0.009) and longer disease duration (p = 0.007) were the only significant positive predictors of maintaining BMS at follow-up. The protective effect was stronger for patients taking DMT at both enrollment and follow-up (OR = 0.71; p = 0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need for development of more reliable prognostic indicators of BMS. Use of DMT was significantly associated with maintaining a benign disease state.
Is ISO 14001 a Gateway to More Advanced Voluntary Action? The Case of Green Supply Chain Management

Using Japanese facility-level data, we estimate the effects of ISO 14001 certification on the promotion of more advanced practices, namely green supply chain management (GSCM). Our results show that ISO 14001 promotes GSCM practices, in that facilities with environmental management systems (EMS) certified to ISO 14001 are 40 percent more likely to assess their suppliers’ environmental performance and 50 percent more likely to require that their suppliers undertake specific environmental practices. Further, we find that government approaches that encourage voluntary EMS adoption indirectly promote GSCM practices, in that the probability of facilities’ assessing their suppliers’ environmental performance and requiring them to undertake specific environmental practices increases by 9 percent and 10 percent, respectively, if a government assistance program exists. Combined, these findings suggest that there may be significant but previously unnoticed spillover effects of ISO 14001 and government promotion of voluntary action.
Regular solutions of nonlinear differential-algebraic equations and their numerical determination

For a general class of nonlinear (possibly higher index) di erential-algebraic equations we show existence and uniqueness of solutions. These solutions are regular in the sense that Newton's method will converge locally and quadratically. On the basis of the presented theoretical results, numerical methods for the determination of consistent initial values and for the computation of regular solutions are developed. Several numerical examples are included.
Effect of boosted fosamprenavir or lopinavir-based combinations on whole-body insulin sensitivity and lipids in treatment-naive HIV-type-1-positive men.

BACKGROUND
Antiretroviral therapy is associated with metabolic complications, including dyslipidaemia, body fat changes and insulin resistance. Healthy volunteer studies have demonstrated a decrease in glucose disposal associated with dosing with specific antiretrovirals.


METHODS
HIV-type-1-positive male participants were randomized to receive tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and lamivudine, with either fosamprenavir (FPV)/ritonavir or lopinavir (LPV)/ritonavir twice daily. A hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp was performed at baseline and at 2 weeks after commencing treatment. The homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was also calculated at these time points. Changes in lipids and lipoprotein subfractions (by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) were assessed. A pharmacokinetic assessment was undertaken at week 2.


RESULTS
A total of 27 participants were enrolled. There was no significant change in whole-body insulin sensitivity or HOMA-IR from baseline or between groups. Total cholesterol increased significantly, by 6.6% with FPV and 10.9% with LPV. The changes in lipids and lipoprotein subfractions were similar between groups with increases in triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and chylomicrons, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles. Although the total high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles were not significantly altered, a decrease in small HDL particles was seen. Changes in VLDL and chylomicron particles in both groups and triglycerides and small HDL particles in the LPV group were statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
In HIV-type-1-positive men initiating antiretroviral therapy with FPV- or LPV-based regimens, there were no significant changes in whole-body insulin sensitivity after 2 weeks. A proatherogenic lipid profile characterized by increases in triglycerides, VLDL and chylomicron particles and LDL particles, and a decrease in small HDL particles, was observed in both groups.
VM level load balancing in cloud environment

As Cloud Computing is spreading globally and number of users demanding more cloud services and better results are growing rapidly, cloud load balancing become a very interesting and important research area. Generally, cloud is based on powerful datacenters that handle large number of users, so it must be featured with load balancer to achieve reliability which depends on the way it handles the load. Cloud load balancing helps to enhance the overall cloud performance. Many algorithms were suggested for assigning the users requests to Cloud resources to provide services efficiently. This paper presents the analysis of three contemporary algorithms in cloud analyst tool to resolve the issue of cloud load balancing as a preparation phase for new load balancing technique. A Weighted Signature based load balancing (WSLB) algorithm is proposed to minimize users response time. Further, this paper also provides the anticipated results with the implementation of the proposed algorithm.
Seed germination and seedling performance of two Mediterranean tree species, holm oak (shape Quercus ilex L.) and Aleppo pine (shape Pinus halepensis Mill.): a multifactor experimental approach

A two-level multifactor experimental approach was used to compare seed germination and seedling performance of two Mediterranean tree species: the early successional Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) and the late successional holm oak (Quercus ilex L.). In a first experiment germination rate was evaluated under the combined effects of shade, nitrogen availability, and pine or holm oak leaf litter. In a second experiment we tested for the effects of shade, nutrient availability, and litter type on seedling survival, growth and biomass allocation. Holm oak showed higher germination rates under shaded than under unshaded conditions, while Aleppo pine showed no differences between shaded and unshaded conditions. Nitrogen availability and litter type had no significant effect on germination of either species. Both species showed increased RGR, but also higher mortality rates, when grown in an enriched nutrient environment. While Aleppo pine showed no differences in RGR and mortality rate under different shading levels, RGR decreased and mortality increased for holm oak in full light. Increased radiation decreased LAR, SLA and height:diameter ratio, and increased RWR and R/S in both species, although Aleppo pine showed more pronounced changes. Unlike Aleppo pine, holm oak responded to increased nutrient availability by decreasing R/S and increasing LAR. From these results, no seed-seedling conflicts were found in either species, but a trade-off does seem to exist for holm oak between biomass allocation traits deployed in response to increased nutrient availability and radiation. Aleppo pine outperformed holm oak under most environmental conditions tested and showed a wider regeneration niche.
ndmaSNF: cancer subtype discovery based on integrative framework assisted by network diffusion model

Recently, with the rapid progress of high-throughput sequencing technology, diverse genomic data are easy to be obtained. To effectively exploit the value of those data, integrative methods are urgently needed. In this paper, based on SNF (Similarity Network Diffusion) [1], we proposed a new integrative method named ndmaSNF (network diffusion model assisted SNF), which can be used for cancer subtype discovery with the advantage of making use of somatic mutation data and other discrete data. Firstly, we incorporate network diffusion model on mutation data to make it smoothed and adaptive. Then, the mutation data along with other data types are utilized in the SNF framework by constructing patient-by-patient similarity networks for each data type. Finally, a fused patient network containing all the information from different input data types is obtained by using a nonlinear iterative method. The fused network can be used for cancer subtype discovery through the clustering algorithm. Experimental results on four cancer datasets showed that our ndmaSNF method can find subtypes with significant differences in the survival profile and other clinical features.
Combined posterior and delayed staged mini-open anterior short-segment fusion for thoracolumbar burst fractures.

STUDY DESIGN
A prospective study.


OBJECTIVES
To assess the outcome of patients with a single thoracolumbar burst fracture treated with circumferential short-segment fusion consisting of posterior reduction, short-segment fusion, and delayed staged mini-open anterior short-segment fusion.


SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
The surgical treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures remains controversial. In attempting to combine the advantages of posterior procedures, including initial correction of kyphosis and early decompression, and those of anterior procedures, including direct decompression and restoration of anterior column support, a combined posterior and delayed staged anterior procedure seems to be a reasonable choice. However, conventional combined procedures are invasive.


METHODS
We prospectively selected 28 consecutive patients with single thoracolumbar burst fracture for circumferential short-segment fusion consisting of posterior reduction, short-segment fusion, and delayed staged mini-open anterior short-segment fusion. The pedicle screw systems were removed after confirmation of posterior bony fusion to preserve as many motion segments as possible in those patients who could be treated with circumferential monosegmental fusion. Radiographic and clinical assessment of 28 patients who received this treatment was carried out.


RESULTS
The mean loss of correction of kyphosis between the time of the combined procedure and final follow-up was 3.7 degrees (range, 0 to 10.2 degrees). Bony fusion was eventually achieved in all patients. There were 15 cases with monosegmental and 13 cases with bisegmental circumferential fusion. All 10 patients with initial neurological deficit improved by at least 1 Frankel grade: 3 improved by 1 grade, 5 improved by 2 grades, and 2 improved by 3 grades. In total, 27 patients, who were P1 or P2 on the Denis pain scale, were considered to have obtained clinically satisfactory results.


CONCLUSIONS
This combined procedure is less invasive than the conventional combined one, and finally achieves shorter stabilization, resulting in preservation of motion segments. It thus seems to be a reasonable treatment option for thoracolumbar burst fractures.