Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving Quality of Service and Assuring Fairness in WLAN Access Networks

As public deployment of wireless local area networks (WLANs) has increased and various applications with different service requirements have emerged, fairness and quality of service (QoS) are two imperative issues in allocating wireless channels. This study proposes a fair QoS agent (FQA) to simultaneously provide per-class QoS enhancement and per-station fair channel sharing in WLAN access networks. FQA implements two additional components above the 802.11 MAC: a dual service differentiator and a service level manager. The former is intended to improve QoS for different service classes by differentiating service with appropriate scheduling and queue management algorithms, while the latter is to assure fair channel sharing by estimating the fair share for each station and dynamically adjusting the service levels of packets. FQA assures (weighted) fairness among stations in terms of channel access time without decreasing channel utilization. Furthermore, it can provide quantitative service assurance in terms of queuing delay and packet loss rate. FQA neither resorts to any complex fair scheduling algorithm nor requires maintaining per-station queues. Since the FQA algorithm is an add-on scheme above the 802.11 MAC, it does not require any modification of the standard MAC protocol. Extensive ns-2 simulations confirm the effectiveness of the FQA algorithm with respect to the per class QoS enhancement and per-station fair channel sharing
The evolution and adaptive significance of the leaf-mining habit

Feeding inside leaves by leaf-mining insects has been viewed as an adaptive innovation for consuming foliage. The leaf mine presumably provides its occupant shelter from the detrimental effects of the physical environment, protection from attack by natural enemies, and potentially a means of avoiding plant defenses concentrated in particular layers of leaf tissue. We examine several hypotheses concerning the adaptive significance of leaf mining using both the published literature and experiments. We also examine the notion that leaf mining is an innovation that has led to an adaptive radiation by examining the phylogeny and species richness of leaf-mining lineages and their sister groups. Both advantages and disadvantages accrue to insects that feed inside leaf mines in comparison to external-feeding folivores. The advantages of feeding within a leaf mine include: a lower incidence of disease infection, a microenvironment with lower evaporative demand and therefore protection from desiccation, protection from the direct and indirect effects of UV radiation by the leaf-mine epidermis, and avoidance of plant defenses resulting in higher feeding efficiencies. The disadvantages of feeding inside a leaf mine include: lower mobility resulting in higher mortality from parasites, higher mortality associated with premature leaf-abscission, and smaller average body size and lower fecundity. Leaf mining is certainly a viable means of feeding upon foliage, and in particular instances it might be the most successful means of feeding on leaves. However, the lower species richness of leaf-mining lineages in comparison to their external-feeding sister groups indicates that the evolution of leaf mining does not represent an innovation that has led to an adaptive radiation. Perhaps the evolution of leaf-feeding per se and the evolution of the ability to feed externally on leaves rather than concealed feeding modes such and mining and galling represent innovations that have resulted in adaptive radiations in the Insecta.
Medical comorbidity in schizophrenia.

The extent and consequences of medical comorbidity in patients with schizophrenia are generally underrecognized. Patients with comorbid conditions are usually excluded from research studies, although they probably represent the majority of individuals with schizophrenia. Elderly patients are especially likely to have comorbid disorders. In this article, we review selected literature on medical comorbidity in schizophrenia, including physical illnesses, substance use, cognitive impairment, sensory deficits, and iatrogenic comorbidity. Data from the University of California, San Diego Clinical Research Center on late-life psychosis are also presented. Older schizophrenia patients report fewer comorbid physical illnesses than healthy comparison subjects, but their illnesses tend to be more severe. These results suggest that schizophrenia patients may receive less than adequate health care. Substance abuse is more common in patients with schizophrenia than in the general population and may exacerbate psychiatric symptoms in these patients. Although generalized cognitive impairment is associated with schizophrenia, the main contributors to dementia in older patients are more likely to be comorbid neurological and other physical disorders, substance abuse, and medication side effects. Iatrogenic comorbidity results primarily from the use of neuroleptic (e.g., tardive dyskinesia) and anticholinergic (e.g., confusion) medications. Clinical and research recommendations are made for management of comorbidity in schizophrenia.
COMBINED PARTIAL TRANSMIT SEQUENCE AND COMPANDING FOR PAPR REDUCTION IN OFDM SYSTEMS

High Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) is one of the challenging issues for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). In this paper, we propose a PAPR reduction technique, which combines Partial Transmit Sequence (PTS) and companding techniques. Some simulation results are presented, commented, and compared with the results obtained applying PAPR reduction methods already proposed in literature.
Examining factors that influence elementary teachers' dress habits

Jill K. Camburn Examining Factors that Influence Elementary Teachers' Dress Habits 2003/04 Dr. Marjorie Madden Master of Science in Teaching The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that impact the attire that elementary teachers choose to wear to work. This study was conducted in an upper elementary school (grades three through five) in a large K-12 public school district in Camden County, New Jersey. The participants were 44 elementary, special education, and special area teachers whose teaching experience varied. Participants completed surveys in which they used a Likert-type attitude scale to assign ratings to various possible factors. Data from the surveys was recorded in percentages and organized into groups according to years of experience. Interviews were also conducted to obtain more information about teachers' points of view. A significant finding of the study was that teachers say they dress because of the hands-on nature of the job, to make a positive impression on parents/guardians, to set a positive example for students, and because of the effect their dress has on student behavior. Implications for future research include examining the previously mentioned factors individually to determine the impact that each has on the attitudes, behavior, and/or learning of students.
Contested geographies: competing constructions of community and efficiency in small school debates

The history of rural education in North America can be understood as a history of school closure, amalgamation, and consolidation of schools. Typically, historical and geographical arguments have converged in debates about whether or not to close small community schools, which are positioned as the victims of the march of time and reconfiguration of space. In this paper, we analyse the archetypical positioning of rural parents in the ‘school wars’ as emotional and irrational participants who want to turn back time and who fail or refuse to understand and accept what is alleged to be the inevitable transformation of rural space. We then analyse the political strategy and tactics engaged in by school governance officials and community agents in these struggles over the meaning and future of rural space. We argue that the confrontational politics that ensues do not support strong rural development conversations and that the unilateral search for what we call ‘trump cards’ to settle arguments with data and rational or emotional ‘appeals’ has led to ongoing tension in rural communities.
World Role of English-Speaking Peoples-Evidence from Indian Universities

his article reports on the social strategy use among India's Malayalee undergraduate students across eight university colleges in one university in Kerala State. The investigation examines social strategy use in three main language learning contexts (in class, on campus outside the classroom, and off campus) and explores the topic from structuralist and sociocultural perspectives. The study also investigates the interplay of stakeholders' desires and opportunities in conversational contexts, in which individuals and groups deployed social strategies and yet experienced their sociocultural positions being challenged. Data were collected through interviews and the Social Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SSILL), a questionnaire that was built on but expanded beyond the social strategies in Oxford's (1990)Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). Results indicate that although participating Malayalee undergraduate students seem highly motivated and fairly cooperative, they settled for less than optimal use of interactive social strategies, probably because their legitimate right to become proficient speakers of English continued to be hampered by language education policies. The situation is far more pervasive than what several previous studies of language learning strategies (LLS) had envisaged. These findings imply that there is an urgent need to socialize and acculturate the less proficient Malayalee students into English-speaking groups to make their transition from schools to colleges smoother and to give them more autonomy
Clinical and radiological features of acute-onset diffuse interstitial lung diseases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving treatment with biological agents: importance of Pneumocystis pneumonia in Japan revealed by a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE Acute-onset diffuse interstitial lung disease (AoDILD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been a serious concern, especially for those under treatment with biological agents which may affect the presentation and outcome of AoDILD, including Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). Therefore, we conducted a retrospective, multi-center study of AoDILD in RA patients receiving biological agents. METHODS Patients who developed AoDILD while receiving biological agents (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab and tocilizumab) were enrolled in the study. Definite PCP was defined as patients who showed either P. jirovecii organisms in their respiratory samples by microscopic examination, or positive tests for both P. jirovicii DNA-PCR with respiratory samples and an elevated serum 1,3-β-D-glucan level above the cut-off value. Probable PCP was defined as either a positive test for P. jirovicii PCR or an elevated serum β-D-glucan level. Chest HRCT findings were evaluated and scored by two board-certified radiologists. RESULTS The final diagnoses for 26 patients examined were definite PCP for 13 patients, probable PCP for 11, and methotrexate-associated pneumonitis in 2 patients. Definite and probable PCP cases were clinically indistinguishable. Generalized, diffuse ground-glass opacity (GGO) is the characteristic HRCT finding in patients with definite or probable PCP, which was different from our previous findings in RA patients, mostly without biologics, showing GGO distributed in a panlobular or multilobular manner. The clinical outcome was favorable by treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and glucocorticoids. CONCLUSION The possibility of PCP should be intensively investigated in RA patients developing AoDILD while receiving biological agents.
Workload forecasting for a call center: Methodology and a case study

Today's call center managers face multiple operational decision-making tasks. One of the most common is determining the weekly staffing levels to ensure customer satisfaction and meeting their needs while minimizing service costs. An initial step for producing the weekly schedule is forecasting the future system loads which involves predicting both arrival counts and average service times. We introduce an arrival count model which is based on a mixed Poisson process approach. The model is applied to data from an Israeli Telecom company call center. In our model, we also consider the effect of events such as billing on the arrival process and we demonstrate how to incorporate them as exogenous variables in the model. After obtaining the forecasted system load, in large call centers, a manager can choose to apply the QED (Quality-Efficiency Driven) regime's "square-root staffing" rule in order to balance the offered-load per server with the quality of service. Implementing this staffing rule requires that the forecasted values of the arrival counts and average service times maintain certain levels of precision. We develop different goodness of fit criteria that help determine our model's practical performance under the QED regime. These show that during most hours of the day the model can reach desired precision levels.
The influence of fear of falling on gait and balance in older people.

BACKGROUND fear of falling (FoF) has great impact on functioning and quality of life of older people, but its effects on gait and balance are largely unknown. METHODS we examined FoF in 100 participants aged >or=75 years, using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale. Participants with a mean score <67% were assigned to the FoF group. We quantified gait and balance during walking at the preferred velocity with and without a cognitive dual task (arithmetic task and verbal fluency), using an electronic walkway (Gaitrite) and a trunk accelerometer (SwayStar). Primary outcome measures were gait velocity, stride-length and stride-time variability, as well as mediolateral angular displacement and velocity. RESULTS gait velocity was significantly lower (P < 0.05) and stride-length and stride-time variability were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the FoF group. However, after standardisation for gait velocity, differences became non-significant. Mediolateral angular displacement and velocity were not associated with FoF. We found no difference between the FoF and no-FoF group with respect to the dual-task effect on gait and balance variables. CONCLUSIONS the lower gait velocity in the FoF group may be a useful adaptation to optimise balance, rather than a sign of decreased balance control. The ability to attend to a secondary task during walking is not influenced by FoF.
Negotiating Complexity: A Bioecological Systems Perspective on Literacy Development

Background/Aims: Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological systems model is well regarded in the field of child development. Although this model is not commonly used by literacy researchers, I argue that Bronfenbrenner's emphasis on the roles of personal characteristics, proximal processes, contextual systems, and historical time has explanatory power in the area of literacy. Methods: I review this body of literature and describe a visual representation that clarifies the relevant aspects of the theory. Results: Adoption of Bronfenbrenner's model increases the likelihood that literacy development will be understood as occurring at the site of transaction between cognitive processes and social practices. Literacy researchers who have applied this theory differ in the degree to which they have attended to Bronfenbrenner's guidance relative to adequate research practice and, as such, findings from this research range from less to more theoretically sound and useful. Conclusion: As contemporary literacy researchers consider employing Bronfenbrenner's theory to frame their work, it is necessary for them to account for all aspects of his rich and complex model.
Potential for Remote Sensing to Detect and Predict Herbicide Injury on Waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

Abstract Many large-scale management programs directed toward the control of waterhyacinth rely on maintenance management with herbicides. Improving the implementation of these programs could be achieved through accurately detecting herbicide injury in order to evaluate efficacy. Mesocosm studies were conducted in the fall and summer of 2006 and 2007 at the R. R. Foil Plant Science Research Center, Mississippi State University, to detect and predict herbicide injury on waterhyacinth treated with four different rates of imazapyr and glyphosate. Herbicide rates corresponded to maximum recommended rates of 0.6 and 3.4 kg ae ha−1 (0.5 and 3 lb ac−1) for imazapyr and glyphosate, respectively, and three rates lower than recommended maximum. Injury was visually estimated using a phytotoxicity rating scale, and reflectance measurements were collected using a handheld hyperspectral sensor. Reflectance measurements were then transformed into a Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) simulated data set to obtain pixel values for each spectral band. Statistical analyses were performed to determine if a correlation existed between bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 and phytotoxicity ratings. Simulated data from Landsat 5 TM indicated that band 4 was the most useful band to detect and predict herbicide injury of waterhyacinth by glyphosate and imazapyr. The relationship was negative because pixel values of band 4 decreased when herbicide injury increased. At 2 wk after treatment, the relationship between band 4 and phytotoxicity was best (r2 of 0.75 and 0.90 for glyphosate and imazapyr, respectively), which served to predict herbicide injury in the following weeks. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; imazapyr; waterhyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms EICCR
Quadratic forms in random variables

Proof. The “if” part is proven by construction. The Cholesky decomposition, R, is constructed a row at a time and the diagonal elements are evaluated as the square roots of expressions calculated from the current row of A and previous rows of R. If the expression whose square root is to be calculated is not positive then you can determine a non-zero x ∈ Rk for which x′Ax ≤ 0. Suppose that A = R′R with R invertible. Then x′Ax = x′R′Rx = ‖Rx‖ ≥ 0 with equality only if Rx = 0. But if R−1 exists then x = R−10 must also be zero.
Spatial and discrimination learning in rodents infected with the nematode Strongyloides ratti

Recent work has shown that mice with subclinical parasitic infections suffer impaired spatial learning and memory, as assayed in an open-field water maze. Although the mechanism underlying this effect is not clear, the phenomenon has been reported following infection with both a protozoan parasite (Eimeria vermiformis) and a gastrointestinal nematode (Heligmosomoides polygyrus). In a variety of experiments, we examined the effects of a different gastrointestinal nematode, Strongyloides ratti, on the ability of rats and mice to learn a spatial or a discrimination task. Animals were tested at various stages post-infection, with different levels of infection, using different lines of S. ratti and with varying experimental protocols. All animals learned the tasks, but we found no evidence of an effect of S. ratti infection on learning or memory. Even rats infected with approximately 5000 S. ratti larvae, a dose which has an impact on rat body size, showed no deficit in learning ability. Various reasons for the conflict between our results and those previously reported for E. vermiformis and H. polygyrus are discussed. Our results show that impaired learning and memory following parasitic infection is not a ubiquitous or at least easily replicated phenomenon.
International Journal of Women's Health Dovepress the Frequency of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Young Reproductive Females in Qatar

hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms Abstract: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in which 126 female students between the ages of 18 and 30 years were evaluated for the frequency of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) through clinical interview, questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements. The diagnostic criteria of the US National Institutes of Health criteria were used. Menstrual irregularities (MI) were identified, and clinical hyperandrogenism was evaluated by self-assessment of hirsutism using modified Ferriman–Gallwey score. Blood analysis was done for measurement of prolac-tin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and the androgen hormones. Of all the students, 37 (30.8%) had MI, 38 (31.7%) had clinical hirsutism, 37 (30.8%) had acne, and 76 (63.3%) had a family history of type 2 diabetes. The estimated frequency of PCOS was 18.33% according to the US National Institutes of Health definition. Hormonal analysis demonstrated a significant increase in androgens (total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and free testosterone), and a significant decrease in sex hormone-binding globulin in our PCOS group, with a P-value ,0.05. This study revealed a higher level of the androgen hormones among PCOS subjects with a frequency of PCOS (18.33%) similar to the global estimates of 10%–20%.
Descriptive, functional and sexual dimorphism of explosive isometric hand grip force in healthy university students in Serbia

The aim of this work is to define basic descriptive model characteristics considering descriptive, functional and sexual dimorphism of basic explosive isometric hand grip force characteristics in healthy and well-trained students of the Academy for Criminalistic and Police studies (ACPS) in the Republic of Serbia. For the purpose of this research, 239 examinees were tested, among whom 143 were men and 96 were women, aged 18 to 24. In order to assess the RFDBASICHG different contractile characteristics we used standardized equipment, i.e., a sliding device that measures isometric finger flexor force, with a tensiometric probe fixed inside the device. Our results showed that the tested male sample had a significantly greater explosive hand grip force in both hands (dominant and non-dominant) than the tested female sample, with regard to both absolute and relative indicators. A statistically significant difference was established for the whole measurement range (the total of variable samples in the function of gender) between men and women, as parameters of sexual dimorphism, at the level of Wilks' Lambda - 0.519, F = 30.567, p = 0.000. In the function of gender, statistically significant functional dimorphism was found in women, i.e., the dominant hand was found to be stronger than the non-dominant one with a statistical significance of t = 2.389, p = 0.019. Considering the defined model parameters for the population of the given age, the results obtained can be used as criterion values for various testing purposes, such as the assessment of explosive hand grip force in athletes and non-athletes of both genders, or the evaluation of gender-related and functional dimorphism of the same.