Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GW elasticity in data centers: Options to adapt to changing traffic profiles in control and user plane

This paper discusses different implementation options of telecommunication network GW functions like the 3GPP Evolved Packet Core (EPC) S/PGW in Cloud computing environments. It is focused on the question what benefits can be achieved if the computing resources can adapt to fluctuating traffic demands. In particular also the traffic profile may change what may lead to different GW control plane and user plane demands. Two implementation options are compared: one running a complete GW in a virtual machine and the other decomposing the GW into a control and user plane virtual machine. For this investigation a traffic model is introduced that assumes not only load changes between busy hour and times with little network load but also a different application profile during the time periods. Several example calculations give an indication on the sensitivity of different parameters to the scalability of the implementation options and resource savings.
Inhibitory control of synaptic activity in goldfish Mb bipolar cell terminals visualized by FM1-43

To investigate the physiology and plasticity of mixed rod–cone ON-bipolar cells (Mb) in the goldfish retina, we established a slice preparation which allows us to optically monitor the synaptic activity of bipolar cell axon terminals. We used the styryl dye FM1-43 which is incorporated into active axon terminals due to synaptic vesicle cycling and thus reflects synaptic activity. Different activity states of the axon terminals were revealed when slices prepared from light-adapted retinae were incubated in the presence of FM1-43 under various conditions. Depolarizing high K+ Ringer (50 mM) and the gamma-butyric acid (GABA) antagonist bicuculline (100 μM) resulted in more than two-fold increase in the number of stained terminals compared to slices stained in normal Ringer. In contrast, GABA treatment (0.5 mM) reduced the frequency of stained terminals. Thus, in light-adapted retinal slices the synaptic activity of Mb axon terminals can be modulated towards higher and lower activity states. The fact that the GABA antagonist bicuculline had similar effects as stimulatory high K+ Ringer suggests that inhibitory control is an important component in the regulation of synaptic activity and transmitter release in Mb terminals.
Biodiversity increases functional and compositional resistance, but decreases resilience in phytoplankton communities.

There is now ample evidence that biodiversity stabilizes aggregated ecosystem functions, such as primary production, in changing environments. In primary producer systems, this stabilizing effect is found to be driven by higher functional resistance (i.e., reduced changes in functions by environmental changes) rather than through higher functional resilience (i.e., rapid recovery following environmental changes) in more diverse systems. The stability of aggregated ecosystem functions directly depends on changes in species composition and by consequence their functional contributions to ecosystem functions. Still, it remains only theoretically explored how biodiversity can stabilize ecosystem functions by affecting compositional stability. Here, we demonstrate how biodiversity effects on compositional stability drive biodiversity effects on functional stability in diatom communities. In a microcosm experiment, we exposed 39 communities of five different levels of species richness (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 species) to three concentrations of a chemical stressor (0, 25, and 250 μg/L atrazine) for four weeks, after which all communities were transferred to atrazine-free medium for three more weeks. Biodiversity simultaneously increased, increasing functional and compositional resistance, but decreased functional and compositional resilience. These results confirm the theoretically proposed link between biodiversity effects on functional and compositional stability in primary producer systems, and provide a mechanistic underpinning for observed biodiversity-stability relationships. Finally, we discuss how higher compositional stability can be expected to become increasingly important in stabilizing ecosystem functions under field conditions when multiple environmental stressors fluctuate simultaneously.
A Neural Network Approach to Selectional Preference Acquisition

This paper investigates the use of neural networks for the acquisition of selectional preferences. Inspired by recent advances of neural network models for nlp applications, we propose a neural network model that learns to discriminate between felicitous and infelicitous arguments for a particular predicate. The model is entirely unsupervised ‐ preferences are learned from unannotated corpus data. We propose two neural network architectures: one that handles standard two-way selectional preferences and one that is able to deal with multi-way selectional preferences. The model’s performance is evaluated on a pseudo-disambiguation task, on which it is shown to achieve state of the art performance.
Demographics of benign parotid tumours: Warthin’s tumour versus other benign salivary tumours*

Abstract Conclusion: Some variation from the ‘classical’ clinical picture for Warthin’s tumours is evident in these patients. A predilection for the parotid tail and a propensity for multiplicity has been confirmed. Objectives: This study sought to analyse demographic and clinical features of a Warthin’s patient population. Methods: Retrospective review of patients presenting with a benign parotid tumour. The group of Warthin’s tumours was compared with the group of patients with other benign parotid tumours. Results: Of 170 primary parotid tumours, 41 (24%) were Warthin’s tumour. Mean age of Warthins patients was significantly older (60 years vs 48 years, p = 0.001) and male gender more prevalent (61% vs 33%, p = 0.015) than in other benign tumours. Most (86%) Warthin’s tumours were found in the parotid tail, compared with 61% of other benign tumours (p = 0.002). There was no significant ethnic predilection for Warthin’s tumours. Bilaterality (30%) and multiplicity (27%) were common. Significance of gender differences disappeared with logistic regression analysis.
Co‐Segmentation of 3D Shapes via Subspace Clustering

We present a novel algorithm for automatically co‐segmenting a set of shapes from a common family into consistent parts. Starting from over‐segmentations of shapes, our approach generates the segmentations by grouping the primitive patches of the shapes directly and obtains their correspondences simultaneously. The core of the algorithm is to compute an affinity matrix where each entry encodes the similarity between two patches, which is measured based on the geometric features of patches. Instead of concatenating the different features into one feature descriptor, we formulate co‐segmentation into a subspace clustering problem in multiple feature spaces. Specifically, to fuse multiple features, we propose a new formulation of optimization with a consistent penalty, which facilitates both the identification of most similar patches and selection of master features for two similar patches. Therefore the affinity matrices for various features are sparsity‐consistent and the similarity between a pair of patches may be determined by part of (instead of all) features. Experimental results have shown how our algorithm jointly extracts consistent parts across the collection in a good manner.
The phase-space distribution of infalling dark matter subhaloes

We use high-resolution numerical simulations to study the physical properties of subhaloes when they merge into their host haloes. An improved algorithm is used to identify the subhaloes. We then examine their spatial and velocity distributions in spherical and triaxial halo models. We find that the accretion of satellites preferentially occurs along the major axis and perpendicular to the spin axis of the host halo. Furthermore, the massive subhaloes show a stronger preference to be accreted along the major axis of the host halo than the low-mass ones. Approximate fitting formulae are provided for the physical properties of subhaloes. Combined with analytical and semi-analytic techniques, these empirical formulae provide a useful basis for studying the subsequent evolution of subhaloes and satellite galaxies in their hosts. However, future studies should account for satellites that may not be undergoing the first infall in their evolution.
A Literature Review of Expert Problem Solving using Analogy

We consider software project cost estimation from a problem solving perspective. Taking a cognitive psychological approach, we argue that the algorithmic basis for CBR tools is not representative of human problem solving and this mismatch could account for inconsistent results. We describe the fundamentals of problem solving, focusing on experts solving ill-defined problems. This is supplemented by a systematic literature review of empirical studies of expert problem solving of nontrivial problems. We identified twelve studies. These studies suggest that analogical reasoning plays an important role in problem solving, but that CBR tools do not model this in a biologically plausible way. For example, the ability to induce structure and therefore find deeper analogies is widely seen as the hallmark of an expert. However, CBR tools fail to provide support for this type of reasoning for prediction. We conclude this mismatch between experts' cognitive processes and software tools contributes to the erratic performance of analogy-based prediction.
Prevalence of Colonization With Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Among End-Stage Renal Disease Patients and Healthcare Workers

Objective. To evaluate the prevalence, epidemiologic features, and molecular characteristics of colonization with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) among hospitalized dialysis patients and their healthcare workers (HCWs). Design. Prospective observational clinical and laboratory study of nasal colonization. Setting. A 600-bed urban academic medical center. Subjects. One hundred twenty hospitalized dialysis inpatients and 100 HCWs. Results. Of 120 patients, 40 (33%) were colonized with S. aureus; 26 (65%) of these 40 were colonized with MRSA. Among the 26 MRSA isolates, 10 (38.5%) carried staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) mec type IV (ie, CA-MRSA), and 7 of these 10 carried the genes for the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin. Patients colonized with healthcare-associated MRSA strains and those colonized with CA-MRSA strains were similar, except for a higher frequency of a history of congestive heart failure among those with healthcare-associated MRSA strains (P = .014). Among 10 patients who presented with or developed an S. aureus infection while hospitalized, 8 were colonized with S. aureus, 7 with MRSA, and 3 with SCCmec type IV strains. Among 100 HCWs, 31 were colonized with S. aureus, including 6 with MRSA; 2 of the MRSA isolates belonged to CA-MRSA strains, and soft-tissue infections were reported in one of the HCWs and in the family member of the other HCW colonized with these strains. Conclusions. There is a high rate of colonization with MRSA and CA-MRSA among hospitalized dialysis patients and their HCWs. As other studies have found, it appears that individuals are being colonized with both CA-MRSA strains and healthcare-associated MRSA strains.
The Effect of Smallpox and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Vaccination on the Risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Infection in Guinea-Bissau and Denmark

Abstract Background The live smallpox and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccinations have been associated with better adult survival in both Guinea-Bissau and Denmark. In Guinea-Bissau, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 became an important cause of death after smallpox vaccination was phased out globally in 1980. We hypothesised that smallpox and BCG vaccinations were associated with a lower prevalence of HIV-1 infection, and we tested this hypothesis in both Guinea-Bissau and Denmark. Methods We conducted 2 studies: (1) a cross-sectional study of HIV infection and vaccination scars in Guinea-Bissau including 1751 individuals and (2) a case-base study with a background population of 46239 individuals in Denmark. In Guinea-Bissau, HIV-1 transmission was almost exclusively sexually transmitted. In Denmark, we excluded intravenous drug users. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. Results Bacillus Calmette-Guérin and/or smallpox vaccination compared with neither of these vaccines was associated with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for HIV-1 of 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36–1.07) in Guinea-Bissau and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.43–1.15) in Denmark. We combined the results from both settings in a meta-analysis (aOR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.46–0.96). Data from Guinea-Bissau indicated a stronger effect of multiple smallpox vaccination scars (aOR = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.10–0.75) as follows: women, aOR = 0.18 (95% CI, 0.05–0.64); men, aOR = 0.52 (95% CI, 0.12–2.33); sex-differential effect, P = . 29. Conclusions The studies from Guinea-Bissau and Denmark, 2 very different settings, both suggest that the BCG and smallpox vaccines could be associated with a decreased risk of sexually transmitted HIV-1. It might be informative to pursue this observation and explore possible protective mechanisms as part of the search for an HIV-1 vaccine.
Author ' s personal copy Phenology of Mediterranean woody plants from NE Spain : Synchrony , seasonality , and relationships among phenophases Rub

Plant phenological studies in the Mediterranean have traditionally focused on the limits that summer drought exerts over plant seasonal behaviour. However, Mediterranean areas also occur across extensive regions under cooler climates. Here, we analyse phenological data of Mediterranean woody species from winter-cold sites to address the following questions: what is the most limiting period of the year for phenological development? How, and how synchronously, do different phenophases adjust to the bimodal limitation of summer drought and winter cold? How ample is the suit of phenological strategies that are successful for Mediterranean phanaerophytes from cool areas? We selected 11 diverse species of Mediterranean deciduous and evergreen phanaerophytes, and located one representative population per species in a region under continental Mediterranean climate. Vegetative growth, leaf shedding, flower bud formation, flowering, fruiting, and seed dispersal were monitored during 2 years per species, on a monthly basis. Then, we elaborated phenological diagrams, and developed indexes of phenophase overlap, of length of the phenological cycle, of phenological synchrony at the phenophase and population levels, and of climate suitability for each phenophase. Winter was clearly the most inactive period for this group of species. Vegetative growth occurred in the most suitable time of the year for plant growth, while reproductive phenophases occurred more spread along the year. Phenological synchrony was the highest for flowering, and was lower for vegetative phenophases and fruit growth. Our set of species was diverse in terms of degree of overlap among vegetative and reproductive phenophases, and also in terms of the length of the phenological cycle as a whole. In conclusion, we identified which are the climatic requirements for each phenophase to occur. Also, we recognized a series of continuous traits that tend to co-vary among species as a phenological syndrome: from those species that overlap phenophases, show short phenological cycles, and high degree of phenological synchrony to those with sequencing of phenophases, long phenological cycles, and low within-population synchrony. & 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Role of microvilli in surface changes of synchronized P815Y mastocytoma cells

The surface morphology of synchronized P815Y mastocytoma cells has been examined by scanning electron microscopy. Early G1 cells are comparatively smooth or light villated, whereas at later stages the surface becomes progressively more villated. In G1 cell most microvilli have a uniform diameter, whereas in S and G2 cells, many microvilli show branching and often originate from much larger surface protuberances. Small "blebs" are seen on the surface of many cells but these structures do not appear to be a characteristic feature of cells at any one stage of the cycle. The presence of microvilli increases the total surface of the cell to such an extent that the ratio of volume to surface area remains constant throughout the cell cycle. The mechanism of cytokinesis is thus a physical one, involving the unfolding of previously accumulated microvilli.
A Non-Random Walk Down the Main Street: Impact of Price Trends on Trading Decisions of Individual Investors

We analyze the impact of price trends on trading decisions of more than 40,000 households with accounts at a major discount brokerage house and find that buying and selling decisions of investors in our sample are influenced by short-term (less than 3 months) price trends. We examine investor heterogeneity in trading based on prior returns and classify investors into (i) momentum buy (MB), (ii) momentum sell (MS), (iii) contrarian buy (CB) or (iv) contrarian sell (CS) category. The trading behavior of these investor segments show systematic differences. In particular, we find systematic variations in the response of these investor segments to reference points such as recent high and low prices. Furthermore, consistent with differences in expectations, the disposition effect varies across the investor segments. Our results provide some support to the commonly held belief that relatively more sophisticated investors exhibit contrarian trading behavior. We find that the contrarian investor segment has the best overall performance and their portfolios exhibit better characteristics in comparison to the momentum investor segment.
Comparing Neural-Network Scoring Functions and the State of the Art: Applications to Common Library Screening

We compare established docking programs, AutoDock Vina and Schrödinger’s Glide, to the recently published NNScore scoring functions. As expected, the best protocol to use in a virtual-screening project is highly dependent on the target receptor being studied. However, the mean screening performance obtained when candidate ligands are docked with Vina and rescored with NNScore 1.0 is not statistically different than the mean performance obtained when docking and scoring with Glide. We further demonstrate that the Vina and NNScore docking scores both correlate with chemical properties like small-molecule size and polarizability. Compensating for these potential biases leads to improvements in virtual screen performance. Composite NNScore-based scoring functions suited to a specific receptor further improve performance. We are hopeful that the current study will prove useful for those interested in computer-aided drug design.
Association between the Estrogen Receptor α A908G Mutation and Outcomes in Invasive Breast Cancer

Purpose: Estrogen receptor α (ERα) predicts the natural history of breast cancer without intervening therapy. Here, we have optimized the detection of a somatic mutation, an A908G transition of ERα, and examined its association with clinical and biological features of invasive breast cancer. Experimental Design: We compared two methods of sequencing to detect the A908G ERα mutation. We then used primer extension sequencing with genomic DNA isolated from invasive breast tumors to determine whether the mutation was associated with clinical outcome in 267 axillary node–negative and axillary node–positive breast tumors. The presence of the mutation and clinical variables were analyzed for association with recurrence-free survival and overall survival by Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: We determined that dye-labeled terminator sequencing was not adequate for detection of the A908G ERα mutation. The mutation was detected at a high frequency (50%) in invasive breast tumors using primer extension sequencing, and was found to be associated with clinical measures of poor outcome, including larger tumor size and axillary lymph node positivity. Although the mutation was associated with recurrence-free survival in univariate analysis, it was not an independent predictor of outcomes in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Consistent with our previous finding of this somatic ERα mutation in breast ductal hyperplasias, we now present evidence that the A908G mutation is present in invasive breast tumors using an optimized sequencing method. We find that the mutation is significantly associated with aggressive biological tumor features, and with an unfavorable prognosis, but was not an independent prognostic marker in untreated patients.
Correlation between Oxidative Stress and Thyroid Function in Patients with Nephrotic Syndrome

Background. The present study is to look for a correlation between oxidative stress and thyroid function in patients with the nephrotic syndrome in the remission phase as well as in a persistent proteinuric state. Introduction. Nephrotic syndrome is a form of chronic kidney disease due to which blood loses protein through the urine. We wanted to know if there was an increased loss of thyroid hormones in urine affecting thyroid function. Methods. 60 patients with nephrotic syndrome and 20 healthy non-proteinuric individuals as control subjects were enrolled in the study. We measured their serum tri-iodothyronine, thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Estimation of lipid peroxidation (LPx) catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were carried out by standard methods. Results. TSH was elevated in the nephrotic patients compared to controls, while TT4 and TT3 were significantly lower in the patients than in controls. Lipid Peroxidation and GPx were significantly higher in the nephrotic syndrome patients than in the controls, while SOD and catalase were significantly lower than in patients than in the control subjects. Conclusion. Nephrotic patients can lose significant amounts of thyroid hormones along with protein in urine, which can affect thyroid status, but this is reversible on remission.
Hepatoprotective Effect of Allopurinol and Garlic Extract against Experimentally – Induced Hepatotoxicity

The present study was designed to investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects ofallopurinol and garlic extract against acetaminophen and ethanol induced hepatotoxicity andoxidative stress in rats. Animals were divided into four groups . Group 1 was used as a control.Group2 was administered paracetamol plus ethanol orally for 14 days beginning from day 15 – 28of the experiment. Group 3 was administered allopurinol orally for 28 days, and from day 15 – 28of the experiment rats were given paracetamol plus ethanol orally till the end of the experiment.Group 4 was administered garlic extract orally for 28 days, and from day 15– 28 of experiment ratsgiven paracetamol orally plus ethanol till the end of the experiment. Serum was separated and useddirectly for determination of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST),albumin, alkaline phosphatase(ALP),bilirubin(BIL) and Tumor necrosis factor –alfa(TNF). Liversamples were taken for histopathological examination, liver malondiadehyde(MDA), Glutathioneperoxidase(GPX)and nitric oxide(NO). The result revealed that in group 2 there were significantelevations of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin,Tumor necrosis factor–alfa and liver malondiadehyde and nitricoxide. Furthermore, there weresignificant decreases in Glutathione peroxidase and albumin compared with control group.Meanwhile, administration of Allopurinol and garlic resulted in significant decrease in all elevatedmentioned parameter and increase in Glutathione peroxidase and albumin compared withhepatotoxicity group. Therefore it could be concluded that allopurinol and garlic as stronghepatoprotective and antioxidant effects