Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling Web Proxy Cache Architectures

In this paper we evaluate the performance of design alternatives for Web proxy cache architectures. Our performance study employs deterministic and stochastic Petri nets (DSPN) as stochastic modeling formalism because DSPN provide an il lustrative graphical representation. The presented DSPN models address in particular the sensitivity of the performance of proxy cache architectures on the traffic intensity and burstiness of client requests as well as on the cache size and network transfer times. We employ DSPN for a comparative performance study of two Web proxy cache architectures: a shared proxy cache and a partitioned proxy cache for text and image documents. For comparison and validation purpose, we also present performance figures for a simple Web server without a proxy cache. For both cache architectures, the benefits of prefetching are also investigated.
Liquid and fluid agents for preventing adhesions after surgery for subfertility.

BACKGROUND Pelvic surgery is associated with high rates of both de novo adhesion formation and adhesion reformation. Although the role of pelvic and/or tubal surgery in the management of infertility is more limited since the development of in-vitro fertilisation such surgery remains indicated for a number of selected patients. Other forms of pelvic surgery will remain prevalent in women of reproductive age (e.g. endometriosis surgery, ovarian cystectomy, myomectomy). Since subsequent fertility is reduced with increasing severity of periadnexal adhesions, pelvic adhesions will remain a clinical problem in infertility patients. Adjuvant therapy has been promoted for many years to prevent adhesion formation. Numerous substances have been used experimentally in animal models, many have been advocated for use during human surgery, and some are widely used in clinical practice. Steroids and antihistamines are given in the belief that they will promote fibrinolysis during healing without preventing healing. OBJECTIVES To investigate whether pharmacological and liquid agents used as adjuvants during pelvic surgery in infertility patients lead to a reduction in the incidence or severity of postoperative adhesion (re-)formation, and/or an improvement in subsequent pregnancy rates. SEARCH STRATEGY The specialised database of the Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group was searched. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials investigating the use of pharmacological and liquid agents to prevent adhesion formation after pelvic surgery for infertility. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Data were extracted independently by the first 2 authors. Differences of opinion were registered and resolved by consensus with the senior author (RJL). Two by two tables were generated for each trial for the dichotomous outcome of pregnancy and the effects on pregnancy rate of each study is expressed as an odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals. MAIN RESULTS None of the pharmacological or liquid agents investigated in a randomised controlled fashion was shown to improve postoperative pregnancy rates. There was some evidence that steroids reduced the incidence and severity of postoperative adhesion formation. Dextran appeared to neither reduce the incidence or severity of adhesions. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS The routine use of pharmacological agents to prevent post-operative adhesions after infertility surgery cannot be recommended on the basis of the available evidence derived from RCTs. In connection with adhesion prevention, the evidence with regard to steroids is far from perfect but tentatively suggests that they may be beneficial. Further randomised studies should be conducted to investigate this further.
Eccentric cardiac hypertrophy was induced by long‐term intermittent hypoxia in rats

It is unclear whether cardiac hypertrophy and hypertrophy‐related pathways will be induced by long‐term intermittent hypoxia. Thirty‐six Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned into three groups: normoxia, and long‐term intermittent hypoxia (12% O2, 8 h per day) for 4 weeks (4WLTIH) or for 8 weeks (8WLTIH). Myocardial morphology, trophic factors and signalling pathways in the three groups were determined by heart weight index, histological analysis, Western blotting and reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction from the excised left ventricle. The ratio of whole heart weight to body weight, the ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight, the gross vertical cross‐section of the heart and myocardial morphological changes were increased in the 4WLTIH group and were further augmented in the 8WLTIH group. In the 4WLTIH group, tumour necrosis factor‐α(TNFα), insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐II, phosphorylated p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (P38), signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)‐1 and STAT‐3 were significantly increased in the cardiac tissues. However, in the 8WLTIH group, in addition to the above factors, interleukin‐6, mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MEK)5 and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)5 were significantly increased compared with the normoxia group. We conclude that cardiac hypertrophy associated with TNFα and IGF‐II was induced by intermittent hypoxia. The longer duration of intermittent hypoxia further activated the eccentric hypertrophy‐related pathway, as well as the interleukin 6‐related MEK5–ERK5 and STAT‐3 pathways, which could result in the development of cardiac dilatation and pathology.
Genetic identification of intracellular trafficking regulators involved in Notch-dependent binary cell fate acquisition following asymmetric cell division

Summary Notch signalling is involved in numerous cellular processes during development and throughout adult life. Although ligands and receptors are largely expressed in the whole organism, activation of Notch receptors only takes place in a subset of cells and/or tissues and is accurately regulated in time and space. Previous studies have demonstrated that endocytosis and recycling of both ligands and/or receptors are essential for this regulation. However, the precise endocytic routes, compartments and regulators involved in the spatiotemporal regulation are largely unknown. In order to identify intracellular trafficking regulators of Notch signalling, we have undertaken a tissue-specific dsRNA genetic screen of candidates potentially involved in endocytosis and recycling within the endolysosomal pathway. dsRNA against 418 genes was induced in the Drosophila melanogaster sensory organ lineage in which Notch signalling regulates binary cell fate acquisition. Gain or loss of Notch signalling phenotypes were observed in adult sensory organs for 113 of them. Furthermore, 26 genes were found to regulate the steady state localisation of Notch, Sanpodo, a Notch co-factor, and/or Delta in the pupal lineage. In particular, we identified 20 genes with previously unknown function in D. melanogaster intracellular trafficking. Among them, we identified CG2747 and we show that it regulates the localisation of clathrin adaptor AP-1 complex, a negative regulator of Notch signalling. Together, our results further demonstrate the essential function of intracellular trafficking in regulating Notch-signalling-dependent binary cell fate acquisition and constitute an additional step toward the elucidation of the routes followed by Notch receptor and ligands during signalling.
Turbulent airflow, Reynolds stress, and sand transport response over a vegetated foredune

Supervisory Committee Dr. Ian J. Walker, Supervisor (Department of Geography, University of Victoria) Dr. Jody Klymak, Outside Member (School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria) Dr. Patrick A. Hesp, Additional Member (Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University) Recent research has revealed that quasi-instantaneous turbulent Reynolds stresses (RS, u‟w‟) and decomposed „quadrant‟ activity (e.g., ejections and sweeps) over dunes in fluvial and wind tunnel studies has shown that turbulent stresses at the toe of a dune often exceed time-averaged, streamwise shear stress (u* 2 ) estimates. It is believed that semicoherent turbulent structures are conveyed toward the bed along concave streamlines in this region, and these activities cause fluctuations in local surface stresses that assist in grain entrainment. This study focuses on event-based landform scale interactions between turbulent airflow and sediment transport over a vegetated foredune through the assessment of two different experiments that took place at Greenwich Dunes, Prince Edward Island National Park, P.E. I. , Canada. Reynolds decomposition of quasiinstantaneous fluctuating u‟ and w‟ signals into quadrant (Q) activity (i.e., Q1 outward interactions: u‟>0, w‟>0; Q2 ejections: u‟<0, w‟>0; Q3 inward interactions: u‟<0, w‟<0; Q4 sweeps: u‟>0, w‟<0) is explored to identify patterns of Reynolds stress signal distributions over the dune. Over flat surfaces, Q2 ejections and Q4 sweeps often dominate RS signals, whereas Q1 outward and Q3 inward interactions are less frequent iv and contribute negatively to RS generation. Over dunes, however, topographically forced streamline curvature effects alter quadrant activity distributions and, hence, near-surface RS generation by enhancing (at the toe) or inhibiting (at the crest) turbulent motions. This results in Q2 ejection and Q4 sweep activity dominating stress generation on the beach, dune toe, and lower stoss slope, whereas, toward the crest, there is a shift toward Q1 outward and Q3 inward interactions. A flow 'exuberance effect' was identified that explains the contribution of positive to negative contributing activities that varies over the dune and helps explain the spatial pattern in RS. RS generation and sand transport depend on location over the dune (via topographic forcing effects on streamline curvature and flow stagnation/acceleration) and on incident flow direction via topographic steering effects that alter the apparent „steepness‟ of the dune to flow streamlines. Transport on the lower portion of the dune was driven predominantly by ejection and sweep activity, while toward the crest it became dominated by outward and inward interactions, likely due to increased frequency of streamwise gusts (+u‟) and vertical lift (+w‟) in topographically compressed flow.
The Cost-Effectiveness of Birth-Cohort Screening for Hepatitis C Antibody in U.S. Primary Care Settings

BACKGROUND In the United States, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is most prevalent among adults born from 1945 through 1965, and approximately 50% to 75% of infected adults are unaware of their infection. OBJECTIVE To estimate the cost-effectiveness of birth-cohort screening. DESIGN Cost-effectiveness simulation. DATA SOURCES National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, U.S. Census, Medicare reimbursement schedule, and published sources. TARGET POPULATION Adults born from 1945 through 1965 with 1 or more visits to a primary care provider annually. TIME HORIZON Lifetime. PERSPECTIVE Societal, health care. INTERVENTION One-time antibody test of 1945-1965 birth cohort. OUTCOME MEASURES Numbers of cases that were identified and treated and that achieved a sustained viral response; liver disease and death from HCV; medical and productivity costs; quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs); incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). RESULTS OF BASE-CASE ANALYSIS Compared with the status quo, birth-cohort screening identified 808,580 additional cases of chronic HCV infection at a screening cost of $2874 per case identified. Assuming that birth-cohort screening was followed by pegylated interferon and ribavirin (PEG-IFN+R) for treated patients, screening increased QALYs by 348,800 and costs by $5.5 billion, for an ICER of $15,700 per QALY gained. Assuming that birth-cohort screening was followed by direct-acting antiviral plus PEG-IFN+R treatment for treated patients, screening increased QALYs by 532,200 and costs by $19.0 billion, for an ICER of $35,700 per QALY saved. RESULTS OF SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS The ICER of birth-cohort screening was most sensitive to sustained viral response of antiviral therapy, the cost of therapy, the discount rate, and the QALY losses assigned to disease states. LIMITATION Empirical data on screening and direct-acting antiviral treatment in real-world clinical settings are scarce. CONCLUSION Birth-cohort screening for HCV in primary care settings was cost-effective. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A Histochemical Study of Glycoconjugates in the Gills of the Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L. 1758)

The characteristics of glycoconjugates in the mucous cells of the sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax L. 1758) gill were investigated by histochemical staining procedures. Histochemical results showed that mucous cells in the primary filament (primary lamellae) epithelium contain acidic, neutral and sulphated glycoconjugates and also mucous cells were stained weakly with AB pH 0.5 were detected in the primary filament epithelium. Key Words : Dicentrarchus labrax, Gill, Glycoconjugates, Histochemistry, Mucous cells .
Altered gene expression in Opisthorchis viverrini‐associated cholangiocarcinoma in hamster model

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) induced by liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini, Ov) infection is one of the most common and serious disease in northeast Thailand. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of cholangiocarcinogenesis induced by Ov infection, we employed a hamster model of CCA induced by Ov and N‐nitrosodimethylamine and analyzed candidate genes involved in CCA using fluorescence differential display‐PCR. Of 149 differentially amplified bands we identified, the upregulation of 23 transcripts and downregulation of 1 transcript related to CCA hamsters were confirmed by a reverse northern macroarray blot. The upregulated genes include signal transduction protein kinase A regulatory subunit Iα (Prkar1a), myristoylated alanine‐rich protein kinase C substrate, transcriptional factor LIM‐4‐only domain, oxysterol‐binding protein involved in lipid metabolism, splicing regulatory protein 9, ubiquitin conjugating enzyme involved in protein degradation, β tubulin, β actin, and collagen type VI. Quantitative real‐time PCR confirmed that the expression of Prkar1a was significantly higher in CCA and its precursor lesion when compared with normal liver and normal gall bladder epithelia (P < 0.05). Prkar1a expression tended to increase along with the progression of biliary transformation from hyperplasia and precancerous lesions to carcinoma. These findings contribute to our understanding of the processes involved in the molecular carcinogenesis of CCA in order to provide a unique perspective on the development of new chemotherapeutics in future. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Joint scheduling of jobs and Preventive Maintenance operations in the flowshop sequencing problem: a resolution with sequential and integrated strategies

This paper presents a comparative study on joint production and Preventive Maintenance (PM) scheduling according to the most interesting joint scheduling strategies: sequential and integrated ones regarding Flow Shop Problems (FSPs). For each strategy, we present three heuristics: Genetic Algorithms (GAs), Taboo Search (TS) and NEH heuristic. The proposed heuristics have been applied to non-standard test problems, which represent joint production and maintenance benchmark flowshop scheduling problems taken from Benbouzid et al. (2003). A comparison of the solutions yielded by the heuristics developed in this paper with the heuristic solutions given by Taillard (1993) is undertaken with respect to the minimisation of performance loss after maintenance insertion. The comparison shows that the proposed integrated GAs are clearly superior to all the analysed algorithms.
Increased Mindfulness Is Related to Improved Stress and Mood Following Participation in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program in Individuals With Cancer

Background. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has demonstrated efficacy for alleviating cancer-related distress. Although theorized to be the means by which people improve, it is yet to be determined whether outcomes are related to the development or enhancement of mindfulness among participants. This study examined the effect of participation in an MBSR program on levels of mindfulness in a heterogeneous sample of individuals with cancer, and if these changes were related to improvements in stress and mood outcomes. Methods. In all, 268 individuals with cancer completed self-report assessments of stress and mood disturbances before and after participation in an 8-week MBSR program. Of these, 177 participants completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and 91 participants completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, at both time points. Results. Levels of mindfulness on both measures increased significantly over the course of the program. These were accompanied by significant reductions in mood disturbance (55%) and symptoms of stress (29%). Increases in mindfulness accounted for a significant percentage of the reductions in mood disturbance (21%) and symptoms of stress (14%). Being aware of the present moment and refraining from judging inner experience were the 2 most important mindfulness skills for improvements of psychological functioning among cancer patients. Conclusions. These results add to a growing literature measuring the impact of mindfulness and its relationship to improved psychological health. Moreover, specific mindfulness skills may be important in supporting these improvements.
The Ability of Soil Pore Network Metrics to Predict Redox Dynamics is Scale Dependent

Variations in microbial community structure and metabolic efficiency are governed in part by oxygen availability, which is a function of water content, diffusion distance, and oxygen demand; for this reason, the volume, connectivity, and geometry of soil pores may exert primary controls on spatial metabolic diversity in soil. Here, we combine quantitative pore network metrics derived from X-ray computed tomography (XCT) with measurements of electromotive potentials to assess how the metabolic status of soil depends on variations of the overall pore network architecture. Contrasting pore network architectures were generated using a Mollisol—A horizon, and compared to intact control samples from the same soil. Mesocosms from each structural treatment were instrumented with Pt-electrodes to record available energy dynamics during a regimen of varying moisture conditions. We found that volume-based XCT-metrics were more frequently correlated with metrics describing changes in available energy than medial-axis XCT-metrics. An abundance of significant correlations between pore network metrics and available energy parameters was not only a function of pore architecture, but also of the dimensions of the sub-sample chosen for XCT analysis. Pore network metrics had the greatest power to statistically explain changes in available energy in the smallest volumes analyzed. Our work underscores the importance of scale in observations of natural systems.
Negative Dip in BOLD fMRI Is Caused by Blood Flow— Oxygen Consumption Uncoupling In Humans

The sensitivity of MRI for local changes in the deoxyhemoglobin concentration is the basis of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) effect. Time-resolved fMRI studies during visual activation show an early signal intensity (SI) decrease indicating a short lasting uncoupling of oxygen consumption and cerebral blood flow (CBF) before a SI increase due to the overcompensating hemodynamic response occurs. Normal neuronal activity may be preserved despite absent vascular responsiveness. Here we show that a negative BOLD effect occurs during motor activation in an asymptomatic patient with severely disturbed cerebral autoregulation due to extracranial artery disease. This is thought to be due to oxygen consumption in the absence of a hemodynamic response. This rare case of a persisting uncoupling of oxygen metabolism and CBF serves as a model that supports changes of the cerebral blood oxygen saturation as the major contributor of the BOLD effect.
Association between Adult Height and Risk of Colorectal, Lung, and Prostate Cancer: Results from Meta-analyses of Prospective Studies and Mendelian Randomization Analyses

Background Observational studies examining associations between adult height and risk of colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers have generated mixed results. We conducted meta-analyses using data from prospective cohort studies and further carried out Mendelian randomization analyses, using height-associated genetic variants identified in a genome-wide association study (GWAS), to evaluate the association of adult height with these cancers. Methods and Findings A systematic review of prospective studies was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Using meta-analyses, results obtained from 62 studies were summarized for the association of a 10-cm increase in height with cancer risk. Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted using summary statistics obtained for 423 genetic variants identified from a recent GWAS of adult height and from a cancer genetics consortium study of multiple cancers that included 47,800 cases and 81,353 controls. For a 10-cm increase in height, the summary relative risks derived from the meta-analyses of prospective studies were 1.12 (95% CI 1.10, 1.15), 1.07 (95% CI 1.05, 1.10), and 1.06 (95% CI 1.02, 1.11) for colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers, respectively. Mendelian randomization analyses showed increased risks of colorectal (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 95% CI 1.14, 2.18) and lung cancer (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.00, 1.22) associated with each 10-cm increase in genetically predicted height. No association was observed for prostate cancer (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.92, 1.15). Our meta-analysis was limited to published studies. The sample size for the Mendelian randomization analysis of colorectal cancer was relatively small, thus affecting the precision of the point estimate. Conclusions Our study provides evidence for a potential causal association of adult height with the risk of colorectal and lung cancers and suggests that certain genetic factors and biological pathways affecting adult height may also affect the risk of these cancers.
Analysis of the Effect of Degree Correlation on the Size of Minimum Dominating Sets in Complex Networks

Network controllability is an important topic in wide-ranging research fields. However, the relationship between controllability and network structure is poorly understood, although degree heterogeneity is known to determine the controllability. We focus on the size of a minimum dominating set (MDS), a measure of network controllability, and investigate the effect of degree-degree correlation, which is universally observed in real-world networks, on the size of an MDS. We show that disassortativity or negative degree-degree correlation reduces the size of an MDS using analytical treatments and numerical simulation, whereas positive correlations hardly affect the size of an MDS. This result suggests that disassortativity enhances network controllability. Furthermore, apart from the controllability issue, the developed techniques provide new ways of analyzing complex networks with degree-degree correlations.
TAX PREFERENCES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND ADULT COLLEGE ENROLLMENT

The federal government delivers substantial college aid through the tax code. The designs of the Lifetime Learning tax credit and the tuition deduction may make them particularly useful to older students. This paper investigates how these provisions affect college attendance of individuals in their 30s and 40s. Using panel data and fixed effects instrumental variable estimation, I find no effect on adult college attendance or degree completion. There is a positive effect on college attendance among a subsample, those whose 1998 educational attainment fell short of earlier expectations. Overall, these results suggest that tax-based aid subsidizes inframarginal college attendance among adults.