Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrating trust into grid resource management systems

Grid computing systems that have been the focus of much research in recent years provide a virtual framework for controlled sharing of resources across institutional boundaries. Security is a major concern in any system that enables remote execution. Several techniques can be used for providing security in grid systems including sandboxing, encryption, and other access control and authentication mechanisms. The additional overhead caused by these mechanisms may negate the performance advantages gained by grid computing. Hence, we contend that it is essential for the scheduler to consider the security implications while performing resource allocations. In this paper, we present a trust model for grid systems and show how the model can be used to incorporate security implications into scheduling algorithms. Three scheduling heuristics that can be used in a grid system are modified to incorporate the trust notion and simulations are performed to evaluate the performance.
Medieval land remediation of a quarry site at Wallingford, Oxfordshire, revealed by microfossil analysis

Abstract Backfill material from a 12th- to13th-century quarry, north of Wallingford, south Oxfordshire, comprises sandy loam overlain by Cretaceous (early Cenomanian; Mantelliceras mantelli Macrofaunal Biozone) Glauconitic Marl Member, of the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation as identified by its abundant, biostratigraphically useful, foraminifera and ostracods. A local outcrop source of the Glauconitic Marl Member, less than 1 km north of the quarry pit, is the likely provenance of this material, and a contemporaneous road, which was discovered adjacent to the medieval quarry by magnetometer surveys and archaeological excavation, would have aided its transportation, into the town via the North Gate. We hypothesise that the use of a calcareous marl to overlay sandy loam deposits probably encouraged land restoration when the quarried area was returned to pastoral agriculture.
Long‐term records of dissolved organic carbon flux from peat‐covered catchments: evidence for a drought effect?

This study considers three long records of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux from two catchments with peat‐covered headwaters. The catchments vary in size from 11 to 818 km2 and the records are at least 12 years old, with one record going back to 1965. The study compares both annual and monthly DOC flux records with a range of hydroclimatic indicators in order to test which component of droughts may contribute to increasing DOC flux. The study found that: (1) there was no significant correlation between any of the proposed drought variables and DOC flux in any of the study catchments over periods of up to 34 years; (2) the most important variable for explaining the DOC flux was the runoff from the catchments overlying a seasonal cycle and an underlying upward trend was present in some records; (3) the residual time‐series, after removal of the best‐fit models, showed no evidence of increased production after times of severe drought. The lack of any evidence for any additional biogeochemical reactions associated with drought supports evidence that DOC loss from peat is limited by its solubility and that its production is fast on the time‐scale of runoff events. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The validity of military screening for mental health problems: diagnostic accuracy of the PCL, K10 and AUDIT scales in an entire military population

Depression, alcohol use disorders and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are serious issues among military personnel due to their impact on operational capability and individual well‐being. Several military forces screen for these disorders using scales including the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL). However, it is unknown whether established cutoffs apply to military populations. This study is the first to test the diagnostic accuracy of these three scales in a population‐based military cohort.
O Papel dos Fatores Ambientais e Espaciais Sobre a Fauna de Ephemeroptera (Insecta) em Riachos de Mata Atlântica

Ephemeroptera de 23 riachos foram amostrados a fim de avaliar a influencia dos fatores ambientais e espaciais sobre a fauna. Uma regressao parcial para abundância e riqueza e uma Analise de Redundância parcial para composicao foram usadas com o objetivo de particionar os efeitos especificos do ambiente e do espaco. As variaveis espaciais foram obtidas usando o metodo PCNM considerando as distâncias atraves da matriz terrestre e ao longo do ambiente lotico. Considerando respectivamente as distâncias terrestres e aquaticas, o ambiente explicou 11,4% e uma porcao nao significativa da abundância, o ambiente indissociavel do espaco explicou 20,8% e 31,7% e o espaco 27,5% e 31,7%. A riqueza, independentemente do tipo de matriz de distância utilizada, nao foi explicada por nenhum dos componentes. Por outro lado, os fatores ambientais explicaram 19,5% e 12,6% da composicao baseada na abundância, e 17,1% e 11,6% baseada em dados de incidencia, considerando respectivamente as distâncias terrestres e aquaticas, em ambos os casos o espaco nao foi significativo. Nossos resultados sugerem que para Ephemeroptera: 1) o tamanho do riacho pode ser um bom preditor da abundância total, mas nao da riqueza; 2) a fauna se enquadra no modelo de metacomunidade Species Sorting e a dispersao e suficiente para manutencao da possibilidade dos taxons chegarem aos diferentes riachos, nos quais o estabelecimento e determinado pela combinacao de fatores locais. The Role of Environmental and Spatial Factors on the Fauna of Ephemeroptera (Insecta) in Atlantic Forest Streams Abstract. Ephemeroptera of 23 streams were sampled in order to evaluate the influence of environmental and spatial factors on the fauna. A multiple partial regression to abundance and richness and a partial Redundancy Analyses to composition were used with the aim to partition the specific effects of the environment and space. The spatial variables were obtained using the PCNM method considering both, the distance through the overland matrix and along the lotic environment. Considering respectively overland and aquatic distances, the environment explained 11.4% and a not significant portion of abundance, the environment undistinguishable from space explained 20.8% and 31.7% and the space 27.5 % and 31.7%. The richness, independent of type of distance matrix used, were not explained by any of the components. On the other hand, the environmental factors explained 19.5% and 12.6% of composition based on abundance, and 17.1% and 11.6% based on incidence, considering respectively overland and aquatic distances, in both cases the space did not significant. Our results suggest that to Ephemeroptera: 1) the size of stream can be a good predictor of total abundance, but it not true for richness; 2) the fauna fits the Species Sorting metacommunity model and the dispersion is sufficient to maintain the possibillity of taxa arrive at different streams, in which the establishment it is determined by combination of local factors.
Physician scores on a national clinical skills examination as predictors of complaints to medical regulatory authorities.

CONTEXT Poor patient-physician communication increases the risk of patient complaints and malpractice claims. To address this problem, licensure assessment has been reformed in Canada and the United States, including a national standardized assessment of patient-physician communication and clinical history taking and examination skills. OBJECTIVE To assess whether patient-physician communication examination scores in the clinical skills examination predicted future complaints in medical practice. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cohort study of all 3424 physicians taking the Medical Council of Canada clinical skills examination between 1993 and 1996 who were licensed to practice in Ontario and/or Quebec. Participants were followed up until 2005, including the first 2 to 12 years of practice. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Patient complaints against study physicians that were filed with medical regulatory authorities in Ontario or Quebec and retained after investigation. Multivariate Poisson regression was used to estimate the relationship between complaint rate and scores on the clinical skills examination and traditional written examination. Scores are based on a standardized mean (SD) of 500 (100). RESULTS Overall, 1116 complaints were filed for 3424 physicians, and 696 complaints were retained after investigation. Of the physicians, 17.1% had at least 1 retained complaint, of which 81.9% were for communication or quality-of-care problems. Patient-physician communication scores for study physicians ranged from 31 to 723 (mean [SD], 510.9 [91.1]). A 2-SD decrease in communication score was associated with 1.17 more retained complaints per 100 physicians per year (relative risk [RR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-1.61) and 1.20 more communication complaints per 100 practice-years (RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.15-1.77). After adjusting for the predictive ability of the clinical decision-making score in the traditional written examination, the patient-physician communication score in the clinical skills examination remained significantly predictive of retained complaints (likelihood ratio test, P < .001), with scores in the bottom quartile explaining an additional 9.2% (95% CI, 4.7%-13.1%) of complaints. CONCLUSION Scores achieved in patient-physician communication and clinical decision making on a national licensing examination predicted complaints to medical regulatory authorities.
Atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency ablation of type I atrial flutter: time to onset, determinants, and clinical course.

BACKGROUND The occurrence of atrial fibrillation after ablation of type I atrial flutter remains an important clinical problem. To gain further insight into the pathogenesis and significance of postablation atrial fibrillation, we examined the time to onset, determinants, and clinical course of atrial fibrillation after ablation of type I flutter in a large patient cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS Of 110 consecutive patients with ablation of type I atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation was documented in 28 (25%) during a mean follow-up of 20.1+/-9.2 months (cumulative probability of 12% at 1 month, 23% at 1 year, and 30% at 2 years). Among 17 clinical and procedural variables, only a history of spontaneous atrial fibrillation (relative risk 3.9, 95% confidence intervals 1.8 to 8.8, P=0.001) and left ventricular ejection fraction <50% (relative risk 3.8, 95% confidence intervals 1.7 to 8.5, P=0.001) were significant and independent predictors of subsequent atrial fibrillation. The presence of both these characteristics identified a high-risk group with a 74% occurrence of atrial fibrillation. Patients with only 1 of these characteristics were at intermediate risk (20%), and those with neither characteristic were at lowest risk (10%). The determinants and clinical course of atrial fibrillation did not differ between an early (< or = 1 month) compared with a later onset. Atrial fibrillation was persistent and recurrent, requiring long-term therapy in 18 patients, including 12 of 19 (63%) with prior atrial fibrillation and left ventricular dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS Atrial fibrillation after type I flutter ablation is primarily determined by the presence of a preexisting structural and electrophysiological substrate. These data should be considered in planning postablation management. The persistent risk of atrial fibrillation in this population also suggests a potentially important role for atrial fibrillation as a trigger rather than a consequence of type I atrial flutter.
Intranasal Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment for Neonatal Brain Damage: Long-Term Cognitive and Sensorimotor Improvement

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) administration via the intranasal route could become an effective therapy to treat neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain damage. We analyzed long-term effects of intranasal MSC treatment on lesion size, sensorimotor and cognitive behavior, and determined the therapeutic window and dose response relationships. Furthermore, the appearance of MSCs at the lesion site in relation to the therapeutic window was examined. Nine-day-old mice were subjected to unilateral carotid artery occlusion and hypoxia. MSCs were administered intranasally at 3, 10 or 17 days after hypoxia-ischemia (HI). Motor, cognitive and histological outcome was investigated. PKH-26 labeled cells were used to localize MSCs in the brain. We identified 0.5×106 MSCs as the minimal effective dose with a therapeutic window of at least 10 days but less than 17 days post-HI. A single dose was sufficient for a marked beneficial effect. MSCs reach the lesion site within 24 h when given 3 or 10 days after injury. However, no MSCs were detected in the lesion when administered 17 days following HI. We also show for the first time that intranasal MSC treatment after HI improves cognitive function. Improvement of sensorimotor function and histological outcome was maintained until at least 9 weeks post-HI. The capacity of MSCs to reach the lesion site within 24 h after intranasal administration at 10 days but not at 17 days post-HI indicates a therapeutic window of at least 10 days. Our data strongly indicate that intranasal MSC treatment may become a promising non-invasive therapeutic tool to effectively reduce neonatal encephalopathy.
An efficient searching mechanism for dynamic NUCA in chip multiprocessors

Rapid growth in the cache sizes of Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs) to support high performance applications will lead to increase in wire-delays and unexpected access latencies. NUCA architectures help in managing the capacity and access time for such larger cache designs. Static NUCA (S-NUCA) has a fixed address mapping policy whereas dynamic NUCA (D-NUCA) allows blocks to relocate nearer to the processing cores at runtime. As the blocks can map to more than one location in D-NUCA, we need efficient searching mechanism to locate the requested block. In this paper we propose a searching algorithm for D-NUCA designs in CMPs, called the HKState-NUCA (Home Knows where to find data and its state within the NUCA cache). This algorithm provides faster access to data lines compared to existing searching mechanisms. We have shown that our HKState-NUCA search mechanism reduces search requests (hop count) by about 50.89%, and achieves an average improvement of 7.04% in the hit-rate, compared to an existing searching algorithm HK-NUCA [1].
Exposure of Bovine Oocytes to the Endogenous Metabolite 2-Methoxyestradiol During In Vitro Maturation Inhibits Early Embryonic Development1

Abstract Catecholestrogens are endogenous metabolites that have been shown to modulate granulosa, theca, and luteal cell function in some species. The present study was aimed at determining the possible role of these steroids on oocyte maturation. Cumulus-enclosed bovine oocytes were matured for 24 h, fertilized, and then cultured for 8 days. Whereas estradiol was without effect, addition of catecholestrogens (2-hydroxyestradiol, 4-hydroxyestradiol, and 2-methoxyestradiol [2-MOE2]) to the maturation medium did not affect the cleavage rate but was associated with a decrease in blastocyst production on Day 8. Although 2-MOE2 was also able to inhibit blastocyst formation when added during embryo culture, the effects were less pronounced than those seen when the steroid was added only during maturation. In agreement with the known ability of 2-MOE2 to bind tubulin at the colchicine site, marked alterations were observed in the spindle assembly of oocytes exposed to 2-MOE2 during maturation, which lead to gross chromosomal aberrations after fertilization and consequent developmental arrest at the morula stage. Moreover, that the blastocyst rate was not affected when meiosis was blocked with roscovitine during 2-MOE2 exposure is consistent with the idea that altered nuclear maturation is the cause of the low developmental competence. Because 2-MOE2 could be increased in follicular fluid in response to aryl hydrocarbon-receptor ligands, such as some environmental contaminants, our results show that abnormally high intraovarian levels of catecholestrogens could have a deleterious effect on oocyte maturation and early embryonic development arising from the alterations in the meiotic spindle.
Red blood cell distribution in simplified capillary networks

A detailed model of red blood cell (RBC) transport in a capillary network is an indispensable element of a comprehensive model for the supply of the human organism with oxygen and nutrients. In this paper, we introduce a two-phase model for the perfusion of a capillary network. This model accounts for the special role of RBCs, which have a strong influence on network dynamics. Analytical results and numerical simulations with a discrete model and a generic network topology indicate that there exists a local self-regulation mechanism for the flow rates and a global de-mixing process that leads to an inhomogeneous haematocrit distribution. Based on the results from the discrete model, we formulate an efficient algorithm suitable for computing the pressure and flow field as well as a continuous haematocrit distribution in large capillary networks at steady state.
Examining the spatial and temporal variation of groundwater inflows to a valley-to-floodplain river using 222 Rn, geochemistry and river discharge: the Ovens River, southeast Australia

Radon ( 222 Rn) and major ion geochemistry were used to define and quantify the catchment-scale groundwater- surface water interactions along the Ovens River in the south- east Murray-Darling Basin, Victoria, Australia, between September 2009 and October 2011. The Ovens River is char- acterized by the transition from a single channel within a mountain valley in the upper catchment to a multi-channel meandering river on flat alluvial plains in the lower catch- ment. Overall, the Ovens River is dominated by gaining reaches, receiving groundwater from both alluvial and base- ment aquifers. The distribution of gaining and losing reaches is governed by catchment morphology and lithology. In the upper catchment, rapid groundwater recharge through the permeable aquifers increases the water table. The rising wa- ter table, referred to as hydraulic loading, increases the hy- draulic head gradient toward the river and hence causes high baseflow to the river during wet (high flow) periods. In the lower catchment, lower rainfall and finer-gained sediments reduce the magnitude and variability of hydraulic gradient between the aquifer and the river, producing lower but more constant groundwater inflows. The water table in the lower reaches has a shallow gradient, and small changes in river height or groundwater level can result in fluctuating gain- ing and losing behaviour. The middle catchment represents a transition in river-aquifer interactions from the upper to the lower catchment. High baseflow in some parts of the mid- dle and lower catchments is caused by groundwater flow- ing over basement highs. Mass balance calculations based on 222 Rn activities indicate that groundwater inflows are 2 to 17 % of total flow with higher inflows occurring during high flow periods. In comparison to 222 Rn activities, estimates of groundwater inflows from Cl concentrations are higher by up to 2000 % in the upper and middle catchment but lower by 50 to 100 % in the lower catchment. The high baseflow estimates using Cl concentrations may be due to the lack of sufficient difference between groundwater and surface wa- ter Cl concentrations. Both hydrograph separation and dif- ferential flow gauging yield far higher baseflow fluxes than 222 Rn activities and Cl concentrations, probably indicating the input of other sources to the river in additional to regional groundwater, such as bank return flows.
The influence of nitrogen limitation on d15N and carbon : nitrogen ratios in sediments from sockeye salmon nursery lakes in British Columbia, Canada

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) elemental and nitrogen isotopic ratios were determined for bulk organic matter in surface sediments of 11 sockeye salmon (Onchorynchus nerka) nursery lakes in British Columbia, Canada. Chitinous exoskeletons of Bosmina spp. were also picked from the sediments and analyzed for Δ15N. The correlation between salmon escapement (spawner abundance) and bulk organic Δ15N confirms the importance of marine‐derived nitrogen to the study lakes. The relation between sediment Δ15N and escapement, however, suggests that simple mixing models may significantly underestimate spawner abundance in nitrogen‐limited lakes. In addition, the use of sediment and chitin Δ15N and C:N data to characterize lake‐specific differences demonstrates that sediment isotope signatures are dependent on attendant nitrogen deficiency. The sediment C:N ratio, on its own, provides a sensitive measure of nutrient status in these lakes. This finding provides an alternate additional interpretation of C:N ratios that may be more appropriate in large lakes where terrestrial contributions to the central basin are insignificant.
Retinol Binding Protein-4 Is Associated with TNF-α and Not Insulin Resistance in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Coronary Heart Disease

We studied the association between RBP4 and various markers related to insulin resistance and diabetic complications as well as inflammatory markers in Saudi population suffering from type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Patients with type 2 diabetes were divided into 3 groups according to the type of treatment and involvement of coronary artery disease. Serum RBP4, TNF-α, insulin, CRP, resistin, leptin and adiponectin were analysed in all samples. RBP4 levels increased significantly in the group of diabetic subjects treated with oral hypoglycemic agents and diabetic patients with coronary heart disease (30.2 ± 11.8; 33.4 ± 13.6 respectively), while there was no significant change in the other group for diabetic subjects on low-carbohydrate diet (25.1 ± 10.9) compared to control group (22.6 ± 9.5). RPB4 levels were positively correlated with TNF-α in the group of diabetic subjects on oral hypoglycemic agents and diabetic patients with coronary heart disease (r = 0.52, P < 0.05; r = 0.58, P < 0.05 respectively). No correlations were found between RBP4 levels and insulin resistance in all studied groups. Our findings suggest that serum RBP4 levels is associated with pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α) and is not associated with insulin resistance among patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.