Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autoflex: Service Agnostic Auto-scaling Framework for IaaS Deployment Models

Elasticity is a key property to reduce the costs associated with running services in cloud systems that employ an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) deployment model. However, to be able to exploit this property, users of IaaS systems need to be able to anticipate the short-term future demand of their own services, so that only the required infrastructure is requested at any instant in time. This guarantees that service level objectives (SLOs) are always honored by the users of IaaS systems, while over provisioning is avoided. The process of automatically change the amount of resources used to run a service in an IaaS system is named auto-scaling, and the state-of-the-practice uses simple reactive approaches. Although these approaches can successfully reduce the costs due to over provisioning, they are frequently insufficient to minimize the costs due to SLO violations. For that, proactive approaches are required. In this paper we propose a framework for the implementation of auto-scaling services that follows both reactive and proactive approaches. The latter is based on the use of a set of predictors of the future demand of services deployed over IaaS resources, and a selection mechanism that chooses, over time, what is the best predictor to be used. We have also proposed a correction method that uses historical data on the predictors' errors to reduce the probability of under provisioning the services, thus further diminishing the number of SLO violations. We have evaluated the performance of the proposed approach using production traces of HP customers. Our results show that costs savings of as much as 37% can be achieved, while the probability of an SLO violation can be kept, on average, as small as 0.008%, and never larger than 0.036%.
A Stem Cell–Based Approach to Cartilage Repair

Osteoarthritis and Kartogenin Osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive breakdown of articular cartilage and affects over 25 million people in the United States. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which reside in healthy and diseased joints, are multipotent adult stem cells that are able to differentiate into a variety of cell types. Johnson et al. (p. 717, published online 5 April) identified a small molecule, kartogenin, which was able to induce MSCs to differentiate into chondrocytes in vitro. When administered locally, kartogenin was efficacious in two animal models of osteoarthritis. A chemical screen using mesenchymal stem cells identifies a small molecule, kartogenin, that can promote chondrogenesis. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that involves the destruction of articular cartilage and eventually leads to disability. Molecules that promote the selective differentiation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into chondrocytes may stimulate the repair of damaged cartilage. Using an image-based high-throughput screen, we identified the small molecule kartogenin, which promotes chondrocyte differentiation (median effective concentration = 100 nM), shows chondroprotective effects in vitro, and is efficacious in two OA animal models. Kartogenin binds filamin A, disrupts its interaction with the transcription factor core-binding factor β subunit (CBFβ), and induces chondrogenesis by regulating the CBFβ-RUNX1 transcriptional program. This work provides new insights into the control of chondrogenesis that may ultimately lead to a stem cell—based therapy for osteoarthritis.
Multiple Spectral Inputs Improve Motion Discrimination in the Drosophila Visual System

Color and Movement From humans to insects, color and motion information are thought to be channeled through separate neural pathways for efficient visual processing, but it remains unclear if and how these pathways interact in improving perception of moving colored stimuli. By using sophisticated Drosophila genetics, intracellular electrophysiology, two-photon imaging, and behavioral experiments, Wardill et al. (p. 925) found that early in the processing stage-color photoreceptors influence the motion pathway and that this input improves the flies' optomotor performance in a flight simulator. Fly photoreceptors that detect colors also contribute information to the processing of motion. Color and motion information are thought to be channeled through separate neural pathways, but it remains unclear whether and how these pathways interact to improve motion perception. In insects, such as Drosophila, it has long been believed that motion information is fed exclusively by one spectral class of photoreceptor, so-called R1 to R6 cells; whereas R7 and R8 photoreceptors, which exist in multiple spectral classes, subserve color vision. Here, we report that R7 and R8 also contribute to the motion pathway. By using electrophysiological, optical, and behavioral assays, we found that R7/R8 information converge with and shape the motion pathway output, explaining flies’ broadly tuned optomotor behavior by its composite responses. Our results demonstrate that inputs from photoreceptors of different spectral sensitivities improve motion discrimination, increasing robustness of perception.
Carbon monoxide formation and emissions during waste incineration in a grate – circulating fluidized bed incinerator

This paper presents an experimental study of carbon monoxide (CO) formation and emissions in both grate drying bed incinerators and circulating fluidized bed (CFB) incinerators to simulate the two key parts of a combined grate and circulating fluidized bed (grate–CFB) incinerator in order to investigate pollutant emission control in municipal solid waste (MSW) combustion that occurs in a grate–CFB incinerator utilizing a patented technology. Polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, kitchen waste, paper, textile, etc. were chosen to simulate the MSW. The effects of temperature, air staging, and moisture on the CO formation and emissions were analysed for both the grate drying bed combustion and the CFB combustion. In the grate drying bed, the low temperatures increased the carbon to CO conversion rate which also increased slightly with the moisture content. Industrial field tests in a commercial grate–CFB incinerator showed that the CO concentration at the grate drying bed exit was very high and decreased along furnace height. The carbon to CO conversion rates were 0–20% for the grate drying bed which exceeded the range of 0.8–16% measured in a grate drying bed exit of the commercial grate–CFB incinerator tests. In the commercial grate–CFB incinerator tests, at excess air ratios ranging from 1.5–2.0 or more, the CO emissions decreased to a low and stable level, whose corresponding carbon to CO conversion rates were far lower than 0–10%. The low CO emission is one of the factors enabling the polychlorinated dibenzodioxin/polychlorinated dibenzofuran emissions to satisfy the Chinese national regulations.
Noncontact transportation of DNA molecule by dielectrophoretic force for micro DNA flow system

In this paper, we propose a new approach to noncontact transportation of DNA molecules by dielectrophoretic force and the idea of the micro DNA flow system. Such system can be made by using microfabrication technology. At first, we designed a simple micro electrode-flow system and carried out experiments. Experimental demonstration of DNA transportation using dielectrophoretic force and direct observation of the DNA molecule in a nonuniform electric field was carried out with fluorescence microscopy. We showed a simple electrode design and the possibility of noncontact transportation of DNA molecules based on micro DNA flow system. In future we consider the possibility of the micro DNA flow system as one of the biomanipulation and automation systems for DNA sequencing.
Characterizing Netflix bandwidth consumption

The widespread deployment and adoption of the Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) standard is making Internet video-on-demand a `standard' Internet application similar in impact as email and web browsing. While video streaming has been widely deployed and studied for decades, DASH-based streaming is very different as it involves adaptation both by the application and by TCP. The dynamics and implications of multiple levels of end-to-end congestion control are not well understood. The contribution of the research presented in this paper is twofold: first, we characterize the bandwidth consumption of a widely deployed DASH application (i.e., Netflix); second, we provide insight in how different implementations and different access networks can impact bandwidth consumption. Our results suggest that Netflix adaptation defaults to underlying TCP mechanisms during periods of heavy, sustained network congestion. However, the application algorithm is clearly intertwined with the underlying TCP mechanisms during periods of volatile network conditions. In one network scenario, we observed that a backlogged TCP flow achieved a throughput of 6 Mbps while a Netflix session (under similar path conditions) consumed less than 3 Mbps of bandwidth.
A comparative evaluation of AMQP and MQTT protocols over unstable and mobile networks

Message oriented middleware (MOM) refers to the software infrastructure supporting sending and receiving messages between distributed systems. AMQP and MQTT are the two most relevant protocols in this context. They are extensively used for exchanging messages since they provide an abstraction of the different participating system entities, alleviating their coordination and simplifying the communication programming details. These protocols, however, have not been thoroughly tested in the context of mobile or dynamic networks like vehicular networks. In this paper we present an experimental evaluation of both protocols in such scenarios, characterizing their behavior in terms of message loss, latency, jitter and saturation boundary values. Based on the results obtained, we provide criteria of applicability of these protocols, and we assess their performance and viability. This evaluation is of interest for the upcoming applications of MOM, especially to systems related to the Internet of Things.
Variations of waste unit weight during mechanical and degradation processes at landfills

This manuscript develops a model for assessing the time and space variations in unit weight of traditional municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The model considers the variations of unit weight caused by deformation of the waste matrix and degradation of the organic portion. Deformation of the waste matrix includes both short-term effects, resulting from mechanical strain during the filling period, and long-term effects, resulting from superposition of waste skeleton creep and waste degradation. Mass loss, caused by waste degradation, not only affects the stress level within the waste column, but also induces large and long-term deformation. Degradation-induced deformation is caused by the local collapse of the solid matrix weakened by mass loss. Considering that the correlation between mass loss and waste deformation is locally erratic and hard to define, a smooth time–strain curve (represented by Kelvin viscoelastic model) is used to describe approximately the overall long-term deformation. The analytical formulation for unit weight is obtained in Laplace transform domain and can be used to simulate spatial and temporal variations of waste unit weight. Unit weight profiles obtained at four MSW landfills using the proposed model agree well with measurements from in situ large-scale unit weight tests. Evolution of unit weight profiles indicates that there is no monotonous varying trend for unit weight along the whole depth of the landfill. Density first increases and then decreases to a stable value in the lower portion, whereas the opposite occurs in the upper portion. Whether unit weight increases or decreases depends on the competition between matrix deformation and degradation processes.
Follow-Up Care After an Emergency Department Visit for Asthma and Subsequent Healthcare Utilization in a Universal-Access Healthcare System

P Li, T To, A Guttmann. J Pediatr . 2012;161(2):208–213, e1 To describe the follow-up care for asthmatic patients within 28 days of an emergency department (ED) visit and its association with ED revisits and hospital admissions in the subsequent year. In this study, 29 391 children with asthma between the ages of 2 and 17 treated in an ED in Ontario, Canada, between April 16, 2006, and February 28, 2009, had their chart reviewed in a population-based retrospective cohort study. Multiple linked health administrative data sets available through the …
Leaching from waste incineration bottom ashes treated in a rotary kiln

Leaching from municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash treated in a rotary kiln was quantified using a combination of lab-scale leaching experiments and geochemical modelling. Thermal treatment in the rotary kiln had no significant effect on the leaching of Al, Ba, Ca, Mg, Si, Sr, Zn, sulfate and inorganic carbon. Leaching of these elements from the treated residues remained unchanged and was, in general, controlled by solubility of the same minerals as in the untreated residues. Leaching of Cd, Co, Ni, Ti, Be, Bi, and Sn from both untreated and treated residues was found to be close to or below their detection limits; no effects of the thermal treatment on leachability of these metals were observed. The leaching of Cl, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), Cu and Pb decreased by at least one order of magnitude after the thermal treatment. This could be explained by evaporation (Cl) and by a better burnout of organic matter which then limited metal–DOC complexation and mobility. At the same time, leaching of Mo and Cr appeared to increase by a factor of 4 and more than two orders of magnitude, respectively. The large changes in Cr leaching may be explained by decreases in Al reduction capacity after the thermal treatment. Overall, rotary kiln thermal treatment of bottom ashes can be recommended to reduce the leaching of Cu, Pb, Cl and DOC; however, increased leaching of Cr and Mo should be expected.
When Are Two Heads Better than One and Why ?

A recent study, using a perceptual task, indicated that two heads were better than one provided that the members could communicate freely, presumably sharing their confidence in their judgments. Capitalizing on recent work on subjective confidence, I replicated this effect in the absence of any dyadic interaction by selecting on each trial the decision of the more confident member of a virtual dyad. However, because subjective confidence monitors the consensuality rather than the accuracy of a decision, when most participants were in error, reliance on the more confident member yielded worse decisions than those of the better individual. Assuming that for each issue group decisions are dominated by the more confident member, these results help specify when groups will be more or less accurate than individuals.
Patterns of renal disease in South Africa

Summary: The prevalence and patterns of renal disease in the different racial groups in South Africa is reviewed. South Africa is populated by four groups: Blacks, Whites, Indians and ‘Coloured’ or Mixed race. In 1994, the South African Dialysis and Transplant Registry (SADTR) recorded 3399 patients (99 pmp) on treatment for end‐stage renal failure (ESRF). Glomerulonephritis (GN) was recorded as the cause of ESRF in 1771 (52.1%) patients and hypertension (HPT) in 1549 (45.6%) patients. In a study of 394 patients with ESRF in our unit, HPT was the cause of ESRF in 32% of Blacks and 24% of Indians, GN in 25% of Blacks and Indians and 33% of ‘Coloured’ patients, while analgesic nephropathy caused ESRF in 33% of White patients. A study of 3632 patients with ESRF reported HPT as the aetiology in 4.3% of Whites, 13.8% of Indians and 34.6% of Blacks, with 57% of the latter having malignant hypertension. of adult Black patients with primary GN, 36% had mesangiocapillary GN, while 21% had membranous GN and 10.7% minimal change disease. Black children have a low prevalence of minimal change disease: 13.5% compared with 75% in Indians. IgA nephropathy is rare in Blacks and has been reported in two patients in another study. Hepatitis B infection occurred in 73% of Black children with membranous GN. Prevalence data for hepatitis C‐associated GN is lacking, but antibody‐positive figures of 4.8–21% have been reported in South African dialysis and transplant patients. Prevalence figures for HIV‐associated renal disease are not available. Public health measures are being actively implemented and should modify the prevalence and pattern of renal disease in South Africa.
Water Dynamics in the Hydration Shells of Biomolecules

The structure and function of biomolecules are strongly influenced by their hydration shells. Structural fluctuations and molecular excitations of hydrating water molecules cover a broad range in space and time, from individual water molecules to larger pools and from femtosecond to microsecond time scales. Recent progress in theory and molecular dynamics simulations as well as in ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy has led to new and detailed insight into fluctuations of water structure, elementary water motions, electric fields at hydrated biointerfaces, and processes of vibrational relaxation and energy dissipation. Here, we review recent advances in both theory and experiment, focusing on hydrated DNA, proteins, and phospholipids, and compare dynamics in the hydration shells to bulk water.
Carbon Isotope Constraints on the Deglacial CO2 Rise from Ice Cores

By the Numbers As carbon dioxide is exchanged between the atmosphere, the oceans, and the terrestrial biosphere, its carbon isotopic composition is modified by various processes involved in its transfer between the different reservoirs. The carbon isotopic composition of the carbon dioxide contained in bubbles of air trapped in ice cores thus provides a record of the processes that regulated the composition of the atmosphere in the past. Using data from three Antarctic ice cores, Schmitt et al. (p. 711, published online 29 March; see the Perspective by Brook) present a record of the carbon isotopic makeup of atmospheric CO2 for the past 24,000 years. The findings reveal the dominant role of the oceans during the early part of the deglaciation and the effects of the regrowth of the terrestrial biosphere later in the deglacial transition. Before the deglaciation, during the Last Glacial Maximum, the carbon cycle was essentially at equilibrium. The stable isotopic composition of the carbon in carbon dioxide over the last 24,000 years illuminates past carbon cycle behavior. The stable carbon isotope ratio of atmospheric CO2 (δ13Catm) is a key parameter in deciphering past carbon cycle changes. Here we present δ13Catm data for the past 24,000 years derived from three independent records from two Antarctic ice cores. We conclude that a pronounced 0.3 per mil decrease in δ13Catm during the early deglaciation can be best explained by upwelling of old, carbon-enriched waters in the Southern Ocean. Later in the deglaciation, regrowth of the terrestrial biosphere, changes in sea surface temperature, and ocean circulation governed the δ13Catm evolution. During the Last Glacial Maximum, δ13Catm and atmospheric CO2 concentration were essentially constant, which suggests that the carbon cycle was in dynamic equilibrium and that the net transfer of carbon to the deep ocean had occurred before then.
Liquid Phase Morphology Control of ZnO Nanowires, Ellipse Particles, Hexagonal Rods, and Particle in Aqueous Solutions

Liquid phase morphology control of ZnO crystals was realized with simple aqueous solution system. ZnO nanowires were successfully fabricated at 50∘C. They were over 50 μm in length and about 100 nm in width. Aspect ratio was estimated to be over 500. They had no branches and were obtained without aggregations. Curved nano-wires clearly indicated high flexibility and high mechanical strength. Additionally, ellipse particles, hexagonal rods and particles were fabricated in the solutions. Morphology, crystal growth speed, and preferred growth faces were well-controlled by precise adjustment of growth conditions.
Age Segregation and the Quality of Life of the Elderly People in Studio Apartments

ABSTRACT The paper attempts to ascertain the impact of age-segregation on the quality of life of elderly people who are living in studio apartments in Singapore. After a review of the relevant literature and statistical analysis of a survey data for 390 elderly respondents in studio apartments, it was found that age-segregation have a deleterious impact on the quality of life of the elderly people. Furthermore, it was found that the perception of the elderly in relation to factors that are most significant to their quality of life is at variance with that of the policy makers. This implies that there is a need for policy makers and service providers to review their existing policies, products and services so as to be more effective in providing housing options for the rapidly aging population of Singapore.
Baseline Map of Carbon Emissions from Deforestation in Tropical Regions

Tropical Carbon Loss Accurate and precise measures of tropical deforestation and the resulting carbon emissions are needed in order to formulate climate policy. Harris et al. (p. 1573; see the Perspective by Zarin) used satellite observations of deforestation within the tropics of three continents to estimate that gross annual carbon emissions were approximately 0.8 Pg Cyr−2 (Pg = 1015 g) for the years 2000 to 2005, from the loss of 43 million hectares of forest. This result, which is about one-third of some previous estimates, should serve as a baseline for future assessments of changes in the rate of loss of tropical forests. Tropical deforestation and degradation across three continents led to ~0.8 petagrams of yearly carbon emissions from 2000 to 2005. Policies to reduce emissions from deforestation would benefit from clearly derived, spatially explicit, statistically bounded estimates of carbon emissions. Existing efforts derive carbon impacts of land-use change using broad assumptions, unreliable data, or both. We improve on this approach using satellite observations of gross forest cover loss and a map of forest carbon stocks to estimate gross carbon emissions across tropical regions between 2000 and 2005 as 0.81 petagram of carbon per year, with a 90% prediction interval of 0.57 to 1.22 petagrams of carbon per year. This estimate is 25 to 50% of recently published estimates. By systematically matching areas of forest loss with their carbon stocks before clearing, these results serve as a more accurate benchmark for monitoring global progress on reducing emissions from deforestation.