Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Achieving multi-class service differentiation in WDM optical burst switching networks: a probabilistic preemptive burst segmentation scheme

We propose a Probabilistic Preemptive Burst Segmentation (PPBS) scheduling scheme to provide priority classes with different Quality-of-service (QoS) requirements in WDM Optical Burst Switching (OBS) networks. The PPBS scheme enables high priority bursts to preempt and segment low priority bursts in a probabilistic fashion. The PPBS scheme achieves 100% isolation among priority classes, and burst loss probabilities can be controlled by tunable parameters. Our PPBS queueing model also implicitly enables us to obtain several results related to the Erlang's loss function which may be useful in the role of this function arising in some areas of queueing theory, as well as characterizing a loss rate region that work conserving burst scheduling techniques can achieve. As an application to providing service differentiation, we show how the PPBS scheme can minimize the total sum of loss rates and achieve proportional loss differentiation. Finally, we also demonstrate the effectiveness of the PPBS scheme empirically using realistic Internet traffic model, e.g., long range dependent traffic model.
Mild Cognitive Impairment and Depressive Symptoms in Elderly Patients with Diabetes: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Comorbidity

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), depressive syndrome cases, and its comorbidity, and to identify predictors of these conditions. Methods. 276 diabetics elders were screened for MCI and depressive symptoms. Detailed information of history of diabetes, and data of BMI, HbA1c, and blood lipids were collected. Results. The prevalence of MCI was 31.5%, depressive syndrome was 29.7%, and MCI with coexisting depressive mood was 9.1%. The logistic regression analysis revealed that variables which increased the likelihood of having been diagnosed with MCI were: higher HbA1c level, previous CVD, hypertension, retinopathy, increased number of comorbidities, and less years of formal education. Significant predictors of having a depressive mood included female gender, single marital status, current and past smoking status, lack of physical activity, higher BMI and total cholesterol level, increased number of comorbidities, history of hypoglycemia, and insulin treatment. Factors associated with both MCI and depressive syndrome were female gender, single marital status, past smoking status, retinopathy, previous CVD or stroke, increased number of comorbidities, and insulin treatment. Conclusions. Depressive symptoms, MCI, and its comorbidity are common in elderly subjects with type 2 diabetes. Systematic screening could result in the identification of high-risk patients.
...Plus Shipping and Handling: Revenue (Non) Equivalence in Field Experiments on eBay

Many firms divide the price a consumer pays for a good into two pieces---the price for the item itself and the price for shipping and handling. With fully rational customers, the exact division between the two prices is irrelevant---only the total price matters. We test this hypothesis by selling matched pairs of CDs and Xbox games in a series of field experiments on eBay. In theory, the ending auction price should vary inversely with the shipping charge to leave the total price paid constant. Contrary to the theory, we find that charging a high shipping cost and starting the auction at a low opening price leads to higher numbers of bidders and higher revenues when the shipping charge is not excessive. We show that these results can be accounted for by boundedly rational bidding behavior such as loss-aversion with separate mental accounts for different attributes of the price or disregard for shipping costs.
Detection of Specific IgA Antibodies against a Novel Deamidated 8-Mer Gliadin Peptide in Blood Plasma Samples from Celiac Patients

We studied whether celiac disease (CD) patients produce antibodies against a novel gliadin peptide specifically generated in the duodenum of CD patients by a previously described pattern of CD-specific duodenal proteases. Fingerprinting and ion-trap mass spectrometry of CD-specific duodenal gliadin-degrading protease pattern revealed a new 8-mer gliadin-derived peptide. An ELISA against synthetic deamidated 8-mer peptides (DGP 8-mer) was used to study the presence of IgA anti-DGP 8-mer antibodies in plasma samples from 81 children (31 active CD patients (aCD), 17 CD patients on a gluten-free diet (GFD), 10 healthy controls (C) and 23 patients with other gastrointestinal pathology (GP)) and 101 adults (16 aCD, 12 GFD, 27 C and 46 GP-patients). Deamidation of the 8-mer peptide significantly increased the reactivity of the IgA antibodies from CD patients against the peptide. Significant IgA anti-DGP 8-mer antibodies levels were detected in 93.5% of aCD-, 11.8% of GFD- and 4.3% of GP-patients in children. In adults, antibodies were detected in 81.3% of aCD-patients and 8.3% of GFD-patients while were absent in 100% of C- and GP-patients. Duodenal CD-specific gliadin degrading proteases release an 8-mer gliadin peptide that once deamidated is an antigen for specific IgA antibodies in CD patients which may provide a new accurate diagnostic tool in CD.
Neuroretinal rim width ratios in morphological glaucoma diagnosis

AIMS To evaluate the inferior to temporal neuroretinal rim width ratio and superior to temporal rim width ratio as measures of rim shape for diagnosis of glaucoma. METHODS Colour stereo optic disc photographs of 527 normal subjects, 100 ocular hypertensive individuals with normal visual fields, and 202 open angle glaucoma patients with a mean perimetric defect of less than 10 dB were morphometrically evaluated. Eyes with an optic cup area of < 0.2 mm2 were excluded. RESULTS In the normal subjects, inferior to temporal rim width ratio (1.67 (SD 0.53)) was significantly (p<0.0001) higher than superior to temporal rim width ratio (1.56 (0.49)). Both ratios were significantly (p<0.0001) higher the more vertically the optic disc was configured. In the normal eyes, both ratios were statistically independent of disc size, rim area, refractive error, age, and sex. With the differences being more marked for the inferior to temporal ratio than for the superior to temporal ratio, both rim width ratios were significantly (p<0.005) lower in the ocular hypertensive group than in the normal group. Despite the high significance of the differences, diagnostic power of the inferior ratio and the superior ratio was 59% and 58%, respectively, indicating a marked overlap between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Abnormally low inferior to temporal and superior to temporal rim width ratios can indicate glaucomatous optic nerve damage in some ocular hypertensive eyes. Being independent of optic disc size and ocular magnification, the rim width ratios may be taken as one among other variables for the ophthalmoscopic optic disc evaluation, taking into account, however, a pronounced overlap between normal eyes and ocular hypertensive eyes.
Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts in Anxious or Depressed Family Caregivers of Patients with Cancer: A Nationwide Survey in Korea

Purpose To describe the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in family caregivers (FCs) of patients with cancer and to identify the factors associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in FCs with anxiety or depression. Methods A national, multicenter survey administered to 897 FCs asked questions concerning suicidal ideation and suicide attempts during the previous year and assessed anxiety, depression, socio–demographic factors, caregiving burden, patient factors, and quality of life (QOL). Results A total of 17.7% FCs reported suicidal ideation, and 2.8% had attempted suicide during the previous year. Among FCs with anxiety, 31.9% had suicidal ideation and 4.7% attempted suicide; the corresponding values for FCs with depression were 20.4% and 3.3%, respectively. Compared with FCs without anxiety and depression, FCs with anxiety or depression showed a higher adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for suicidal ideation (aOR = 4.07 and 1.93, respectively) and attempts (OR = 3.00 and 2.43, respectively). Among FCs with anxiety or depression, being female, unmarried, unemployed during caregiving, and having a low QOL were associated with increased odds of suicidal ideation. FCs with anxiety who became unemployed during caregiving constituted a high-risk group for suicide. Being unmarried and having a low QOL with respect to financial matters were associated with increased suicide attempts among FCs with depression. Conclusion FCs with anxiety or depression were at high risk of suicide. Interventions to enhance social support and to improve perceived QOL may help prevent suicide and manage suicidal ideation in FCs with anxiety or depression.
On the acoustic characterization of ejective stops in Waima'a

We examine some acoustic properties of ejective stops in Waima 鈂a (an Austronesian language spoken in East Timor), and compare them with other voiceless stop types that occur in the language. Previous studies of ejectives in other languages have suggested that they may fall into two classes, strong and weak. We compare our Waima 鈂a results with some existing findings in the literature, and suggest that while Waima 鈂a ejectives might appear to be more appropriately characterized as strong on some criteria, they do not sit squarely in either category.
Molecular ecology and biological control: the mating system of a marsupial pest

Many studies in molecular ecology have focused on the use of repeat DNA markers to determine the nature of mating systems in a wide variety of animal species. Whilst these studies typically have focused on important issues such as the evolutionary consequences of fitness variation among males, genetic studies of mating systems are potentially also important because they can generate information of significance to wider issues in wildlife management. For example, genetically modified, sexually transmitted viral diseases have been suggested as potential agents for the control of vertebrate pest species. An understanding of the epidemiology of such agents requires an intimate knowledge of the sexual contact rates between individuals of the target species. Here, we report the use of minisatellite DNA profiling to reveal the mating system in two New Zealand populations of the introduced Australian brushtail possum. The brushtail possum is New Zealand’s most important mammalian pest and a species for which control by a sexually transmitted immunocontraceptive has been proposed. Encouragingly, we report considerable variation in the reproductive success of males at both study sites, with one male siring offspring from four females in one year (mean no. of offspring/reproductively successful male/year at the two sites is 1.95–2.15), while many sired none. This bias in the pattern of reproductive success among males will probably facilitate the spread of an immunocontraceptive agent and thereby increase the power of this approach to biological control.
The cost of inaction on HIV transmission among injection drug users and the potential for effective interventions

Estimated and potential medical costs of treating patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in urban areas of high HIV prevalence have not been well defined. We estimated the total medical cost of HIV disease among injection drug users in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, assuming stable and increasing HIV prevalence. Total medical costs were estimated by multiplying the average lifetime medical cost per person by the number of HIV-infected individuals. We assumed the cost of each HIV infection to be $150,000 (Canadian), based on empirical data, and HIV prevalence estimates were derived from the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study (VIDUS) and external data sources. By use of Monte Carlo simulation methodology, we performed sensitivity analyses to estimate total medical cost, assuming the HIV prevalence remained stable at 31% and under a scenario in which the prevalence rose to 50%. Expected medical expenditures based on current HIV prevalence levels were estimated as $215,852,613. If prevalence rises to 50% as reported in other urban centers, the median estimated medical cost would be approximately $348,935,865. This represents a difference in the total costs between the two scenarios of $133,083,253. Health planners should consider that predicted medical expenditures related to the HIV epidemic among injection drug users in our setting may cost an estimated $215,852,613. If funding cannot be found for appropriate prevention interventions and the prevalence rises to 50%, a further $133,083,253 may be required.
Molecular Response of HL‐60 Cells to Mitotic Inhibitors Vincristine and Taxol Visualized with Apoptosis‐Related Gene Expressions, Including the New Member BCL2L12

Taxol and vincristine belong to a group of anticancer drugs that target microtubules, subsequently arresting cells at the mitotic phase of the cell cycle and inducing programmed cell death. The BCL2 (bcl‐2) family of genes is of known implication in apoptosis induced by various stimuli, among which BCL2L12, a new member of the family, cloned by our group. For further insights into the mechanisms and molecular targets implicated and modified as a result of apoptosis induced by these two mitosis‐arresting drugs, we studied the possible alterations, at the mRNA level, of various apoptosis‐related genes (BCL2, BAX, BCL2L12, CASPASE‐3, FAS) after leukemia cell (HL‐60) treatment with these drugs. The kinetics of cell toxicity were evaluated by the MTT [3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide] method, trypan blue staining, and cell proliferation efficiency; apoptosis induction was assayed by endonucleosomal cleavage of DNA (DNA laddering); and the expression levels of the genes were analysed by RT‐PCR, using gene‐specific primers. The percentage of nonviable cells was upregulated with increasing cell exposure time and drug concentrations to both taxol and vincristine. Distinct modulations of apoptosis‐related genes at the mRNA level were also observed, mainly concerning BCL2 and BCL2L12 along apoptosis induction. Our results indicate and support the hypothesis that the apoptosis‐related genes BCL2 and BCL2L12 respond similarly to treatment of the human, acute, myelocytic leukemia HL60 cells with the anticancer drugs vincristine and taxol though in a drug‐specific and time‐dependent manner.
A Samoan Hebeloma with phylogenetic ties to the western Pacific

Hebeloma ifeleletorum is described as a new species from American Samoa. Based on analyses of ITS and combined nLSU-ITS datasets H. ifeleletorum clusters with but is distinct from described species that have been placed in the genus Anamika by some. The phylogenetic relationship of H. ifeleletorum to the genus Anamika from Asia and to other species from Australia and New Caledonia suggests that H. ifeleletorum has origins in the western Pacific.
The relationship of training milestones with racing success in a population of Standardbred horses in New Zealand

Abstract AIM: To investigate the association between attainment of training milestones by 2-year-old horses with racing outcomes in a population of Standardbred racehorses in New Zealand. METHODS: Retrospective records of the 2001/2002-born Standardbred foals were obtained. The three training milestones used were: registered with a trainer, entered in a trial, and competed in a race. The racing outcomes were length of career in years raced and number of race starts, and total earnings. Cox regression analysis was used to assess the association between attainment of the three milestones by 2-year-olds and the number of race starts and years raced. Logistic regression models were used to determine the association between attainment of the milestones by 2-year-olds and the outcomes won and placed in a race. Linear regression was used to model the association between attainment of the milestones by 2-year-olds and annual earnings and total earnings (transformed using Ln (earnings+NZ$100)). RESULTS: Of 3,032 horses in the population, 1,018 (33.6%) registered with a trainer, 609 (20.1%) trialled, and 272 (9.0%) raced as 2-year-olds. Horses that first raced as 2-year-olds had a longer racing career and more race starts than those that that did not race as 2-year-olds (p<0.001); this was also true when starts in the 2-year-olds were omitted from analyses. Horses that were registered with a trainer, trialled or raced as 2-year-olds were more likely to have won or placed in a race than those that did not achieve the milestones as 2-year-olds (p<0.001). Linear regression showed horses that trialled and raced as 2-year-olds had greater total earnings than those that did not, and male horses had a greater total earnings than female horses. CONCLUSION: Only one third the Standardbred racehorses born in 2001/2002 registered with a trainer as 2-year-olds, but the results of this study indicate that horses that began training, trialling, or racing as 2-year-olds had longer and more successful careers than those that did not achieve the milestones as 2-year-olds. Further investigation is required to quantify the management practices of these horses to determine the factors that may be associated with a successful racing career.
Sum-Product-Max Networks for Tractable Decision Making: (Extended Abstract)

Investigations into probabilistic graphical models for decision making have predominantly centered on influence diagrams (IDs) and decision circuits (DCs) for representation and computation of decision rules that maximize expected utility. Since IDs are typically handcrafted and DCs are compiled from IDs, in this paper we propose an approach to learn the structure and parameters of decision-making problems directly from data. We present a new representation called sum-product-max network (SPMN) that generalizes a sum-product network (SPN) to the class of decision-making problems and whose solution, analogous to DCs, scales linearly in the size of the network. We show that SPMNs may be reduced to DCs linearly and present a first method for learning SPMNs from data. This approach is significant because it facilitates a novel paradigm of tractable decision making driven by data.
Relationship between Vitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone, and Bone Mineral Density in Elderly Koreans

There is controversy regarding definition of vitamin D inadequacy. We analyzed threshold 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) below which intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) increases, and examined age- and sex-specific changes of 25(OH)D and iPTH, and association of 25(OH)D and iPTH with bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly Koreans. Anthropometric parameters, serum 25(OH)D and iPTH, lumbar spine and femur BMD by dual-energy radiography absorptiometry (DXA) were measured in 441 men and 598 postmenopausal women. iPTH increased below serum 25(OH) of 36.7 ng/mL in men, but failed to reach plateau in women. Femur neck BMD above and below threshold differed when threshold 25(OH)D concentrations were set at 15-27.5 ng/mL in men, and 12.5-20 ng/mL in postmenopausal women. Vitamin D-inadequate individuals older than 75 yr had higher iPTH than those aged ≤ 65 yr. In winter, age-associated iPTH increase in women was steeper than in summer. In conclusion, vitamin D inadequacy threshold cannot be estimated based on iPTH alone, and but other factors concerning bone health should also be considered. Older people seemingly need higher 25(OH)D levels to offset age-associated hyperparathyroidism. Elderly vitamin D-inadequate women in the winter are most vulnerable to age-associated hyperparathyroidism.
Intention Processing in Communication: A Common Brain Network for Language and Gestures

Human communicative competence is based on the ability to process a specific class of mental states, namely, communicative intention. The present fMRI study aims to analyze whether intention processing in communication is affected by the expressive means through which a communicative intention is conveyed, that is, the linguistic or extralinguistic gestural means. Combined factorial and conjunction analyses were used to test two sets of predictions: first, that a common brain network is recruited for the comprehension of communicative intentions independently of the modality through which they are conveyed; second, that additional brain areas are specifically recruited depending on the communicative modality used, reflecting distinct sensorimotor gateways. Our results clearly showed that a common neural network is engaged in communicative intention processing independently of the modality used. This network includes the precuneus, the left and right posterior STS and TPJ, and the medial pFC. Additional brain areas outside those involved in intention processing are specifically engaged by the particular communicative modality, that is, a peri-sylvian language network for the linguistic modality and a sensorimotor network for the extralinguistic modality. Thus, common representation of communicative intention may be accessed by modality-specific gateways, which are distinct for linguistic versus extralinguistic expressive means. Taken together, our results indicate that the information acquired by different communicative modalities is equivalent from a mental processing standpoint, in particular, at the point at which the actor's communicative intention has to be reconstructed.
Salicylate Prevents Virus-Induced Type 1 Diabetes in the BBDR Rat

Epidemiologic and clinical evidence suggests that virus infection plays an important role in human type 1 diabetes pathogenesis. We used the virus-inducible BioBreeding Diabetes Resistant (BBDR) rat to investigate the ability of sodium salicylate, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), to modulate development of type 1 diabetes. BBDR rats treated with Kilham rat virus (KRV) and polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (pIC, a TLR3 agonist) develop diabetes at nearly 100% incidence by ~2 weeks. We found distinct temporal profiles of the proinflammatory serum cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, IL-12, and haptoglobin (an acute phase protein) in KRV+pIC treated rats. Significant elevations of IL-1β and IL-12, coupled with sustained elevations of haptoglobin, were specific to KRV+pIC and not found in rats co-treated with pIC and H1, a non-diabetogenic virus. Salicylate administered concurrently with KRV+pIC inhibited the elevations in IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ and haptoglobin almost completely, and reduced IL-12 levels significantly. Salicylate prevented diabetes in a dose-dependent manner, and diabetes-free animals had no evidence of insulitis. Our data support an important role for innate immunity in virus-induced type 1 diabetes pathogenesis. The ability of salicylate to prevent diabetes in this robust animal model demonstrates its potential use to prevent or attenuate human autoimmune diabetes.