Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virtual Resource Allocation in Information-Centric Wireless Networks With Virtualization

Wireless network virtualization and information-centric networking (ICN) are two promising technologies in next-generation wireless networks. Traditionally, these two technologies have been addressed separately. In this paper, we show that jointly considering wireless network virtualization and ICN is necessary. Specifically, we propose an information-centric wireless network virtualization framework for enabling wireless network virtualization and ICN. Then, we formulate the virtual resource allocation and in-network caching strategy as an optimization problem, considering not only the revenue earned by serving the end users but the cost-of-leasing infrastructure as well. In addition, with recent advances in distributed convex optimization, we develop an efficient alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM)-based distributed virtual resource allocation and in-network caching scheme. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Neuronal Changes in Normal Human Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

This article discusses age-related changes in brain weight, total number of cortical neurons, cortical dendrites, spine, and synapse density. The conclusion is that the present outlook is less grim than it was 30 years ago. Age-related reduction appears to be specific to brain region and cortical layer rather than a general feature. In addition, we describe a different pattern of changes that occur in Alzheimer's disease patients. This review concludes that the association cortices in particular are affected in aging and Alzheimer's disease and that the primary visual and somatosensory cortices are relatively spared.
Factor V Enhances the Cofactor Function of Protein S in the APC-Mediated Inactivation of Factor VIII: Influence of the Factor VR506Q Mutation

Summary Factor V and protein S are cofactors of activated protein C (APC) which accelerate APC-mediated factor VIII inactivation. The effects of factor V and protein S were quantitated in a reaction system in which plasma factor VIII was inactivated by APC and the loss of factor VIII activity was monitored in a factor X-activating system in which a chro-mogenic substrate was used to probe factor Xa formation. Factor V increased the rate of APC-mediated factor VIII inactivation in a dose-dependent manner in representative plasma samples with protein S or factor V deficiency, abnormal factor V (heterozygous or homozygous for factor VR506Q), or a combination of heterozygous protein S deficiency and heterozygous factor VR506Q. This effect was much less pronounced in the plasma samples with a decreased protein S level, but the impaired response in these plasmas was corrected by addition of protein S, indicating that both factor V and protein S are required for optimal inactivation of factor VIII by APC. The effects of factor V and protein S were also studied in a reaction system with purified proteins. APC-catalysed factor VIII inactivation was enhanced 3.7-fold in the presence of 1.1 nM factor V and 1.5-fold in the presence of 2.4 nM protein S. When both 1.1 nM factor V and 2.4 nM protein were present the rate enhancement was 11-fold. Factor V is a more potent cofactor than protein S, as can be concluded from the fact that 0.04 nM factor V gave the same stimulation as 2.4 nM protein S. Protein S lost its cofactor function after complexation with C4b binding protein, which indicates that it is free protein S that acts as a cofactor. To investigate the effect of the R506Q mutation in factor V on APC-mediated factor VIII inactivation, factor V was purified from the plasma of patients homozygous for factor VR506Q. In the absence of protein S, factor VR506Q did not enhance factor VIII inactivation by APC, but in the presence of 2.4 nM protein S a slight enhancement was observed. The APC cofactor activity of factor V was lost when factor V was activated with thrombin or with the factor V activator from Russell’s viper venom. These data indicate that optimal inactivation of factor VIII by APC requires the presence of an intact factor V molecule and free protein S.
Stimulation of Angiogenesis by Adenosine on the Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane

The effect of adenosine on the vascular density of the chick chorioallantoic membrane was studied. Elvax polymer pellets containing 0.2–3.0 mg of adenosine were placed on the chorioallantoic membrane of 10-day embryos. Control pellets containing mannitol were placed at least 1 cm away. After 4 days the membrane was formalin-fixed and removed. A thin plastic coverslip, inscribed with concentric circles (4–8 mm in diameter), was placed over the pellet. A vascular density index was estimated at 20x by counting the number of intercepts between vessels and the inscribed circles. Adenosine stimulated a dose-dependent increase (p<0.01) in the vascular density index with the 3-mg pellets inducing a 15% increase. Inosine, a major metabolite of adenosine, did not cause a change in the number of intercepts counted. The adenosine-stimulated increase in vascularity was blocked with 110 μg of methyl-isobutyl-xanthine injected daily into the albumin. Partial inhibition was observed with 55 μg/day. Methyl-isobutyl-xanthine by itself did not affect the vascular density index. Dipyridamole enhanced adenosine's stimulation of vascular growth an additional 52%. Given alone, however, it had no effect on the membrane's vascularity. These data support an angiogenic role for adenosine. The modest, but consistent, increase in the vascular density index stimulated by adenosine, and the fact that it may be released during tissue hypoxia, is consistent with an hypothesis that this nucleoside plays a modulatory role in vessel proliferation accompanying conditions of long-term hypoxia.
The Impact of financial development on investment in Botswana: an ARDL-Bounds testing approach

This paper examines the impact of both bank-based and market-based financial development on investment in Botswana during the period 1976 – 2014, using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach. The study adopts a flexible accelerator model, which enhances the relationship between financial development and investment. In order to capture the breadth and depth of the financial sector in the study country, the study makes use of bank- and market-based financial development indices. These are constructed from an array of bank- and market-based financial development indicators. The empirical results of this study show that while bank-based financial development has both a long-run and short-run positive impact on investment in Botswana, market-based financial development has no significant impact on investment, either in the short run or in the long run. L’impatto dello sviluppo finanziario sugli investimenti in Botswana: un approccio ARDL-Bound Testing Oggetto di questo studio e esaminare l’impatto dello sviluppo finanziario sia bank-based che market-based in Botswana nel periodo 1976-2014, tramite l’utilizzo dei test ad approccio ARDL. Viene adottato un modello ad acceleratore flessibile che potenzia la relazione tra sviluppo finanziario ed investimenti. Al fine di cogliere le dimensioni del settore finanziario nello studio del paese, il lavoro utilizza indici di sviluppo finanziario bank-based e market-based, derivanti da una gamma di indicatori di questo tipo. Evidenze empiriche mostrano che mentre lo sviluppo bank-based in Botswana ha un impatto positivo sia nel lungo che nel breve periodo, quello market-based non ha alcun impatto significativo sugli investimenti, sia nel lungo che nel breve periodo.
The way from microscopic many-particle theory to macroscopic hydrodynamics

Starting from the microscopic description of a normal fluid in terms of any kind of local interacting many-particle theory we present a well defined step by step procedure to derive the hydrodynamic equations for the macroscopic phenomena. We specify the densities of the conserved quantities as the relevant hydrodynamic variables and apply the methods of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics with projection operator techniques. As a result we obtain time-evolution equations for the hydrodynamic variables with three kinds of terms on the right-hand sides: reversible, dissipative and fluctuating terms. In their original form these equations are completely exact and contain nonlocal terms in space and time which describe nonlocal memory effects. Applying a few approximations the nonlocal properties and the memory effects are removed. As a result we find the well known hydrodynamic equations of a normal fluid with Gaussian fluctuating forces. In the following we investigate if and how the time-inversion invariance is broken and how the second law of thermodynamics comes about. Furthermore, we show that the hydrodynamic equations with fluctuating forces are equivalent to stochastic Langevin equations and the related Fokker–Planck equation. Finally, we investigate the fluctuation theorem and find a modification by an additional term.
Behavioural operations in healthcare: a knowledge sharing perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide arguments and empirical evidence that different knowledge sharing behaviours – i.e. sharing best practices, sharing mistakes, seeking feedbacks – are promoted and enabled by different types of knowledge assets, and differently affect employees’ innovative work behaviours. Design/methodology/approach The research framework includes four sets of constructs: employees’ innovative work behaviour, knowledge sharing, knowledge assets, psychological safety. The literature-grounded hypotheses were tested collecting data from healthcare professionals from three hospice and palliative care organisations in Italy. In all, 195 questionnaires were analysed using structural equations modelling technique. Findings First, findings show that the linkage between knowledge assets and knowledge sharing is both direct and indirect with psychological safety as relevant mediating construct. The linkage between relational and structural social capital and seeking feedbacks and sharing mistakes is fully mediated by psychological safety. Second, findings show that each dimension of knowledge sharing affects the different dimensions of employees’ innovative work behaviour – i.e. idea generation, idea promotion, idea implementation – in a distinct manner. While sharing of best practices influences all of them, seeking feedbacks affects idea promotion and sharing mistakes influences idea implementation. Practical implications The results provide operations managers with a clearer picture of how to pursue improvements of current operations by leveraging on knowledge sharing among employees through the creation of numerous, high-quality interpersonal relationships among employees, based on rich and cohesive network ties. Originality/value This study, by adopting a micro-level perspective, offers an original perspective on how knowledge assets and knowledge sharing initiatives may contribute to the engagement of innovative work behaviour by employees.
Development and Initial Evaluation of a Web-Based Program to Increase Parental Awareness and Monitoring of Underage Alcohol Use: A Brief Report

The development of a Web-based parent-focused intervention to improve parental awareness and monitoring of adolescent alcohol use was preliminarily evaluated. Upon completion of baseline assessment, 67 parents were randomly assigned to the experimental Web-based parent-focused intervention or an assessment-only control condition. Participants who completed the experimental program, relative to control participants, significantly improved knowledge of problems related to underage drinking (p < .01) while improvements in overall monitoring of their children approached significance (p = .08). Improvements in monitoring by experimental participants, relative to controls, were pronounced in phone monitoring (p < .01) and indirect monitoring (p = .05). Participants in this study improved their communication about alcohol from pre- to post-intervention regardless of intervention. There were no statistical between-group differences found regarding underage drinking attitudes. This pilot evaluation demonstrates that this program warrants further examination in controlled trials with greater power. Study implications are discussed in light of results.
Political Connections, Home Formal Institutions, and Internationalization: Evidence from China

ABSTRACT This study draws on the resource dependence theory and institution-based view to examine political connections in the home market and home formal institutions for their impact on the internationalization of emerging market firms in the context of China. The results suggest that political connections at home may prevent emerging market firms from implementing internationalization strategies by reducing the dependence constraints imposed by local governments and foreign firms, whereas home formal institutional development may promote the strategy transition of emerging market firms from building political connections to international expansion and also reduce the negative impact of political connections. Overall, our findings indicate that political connections and formal institutions at home play an important role in shaping emerging market firms’ strategies of outward internationalization.
Public Support for Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Point-of-Sale Provisions: Results of a National Study.

OBJECTIVES We assessed public and smoker support for enacted and potential point-of-sale (POS) tobacco-control policies under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. METHODS We surveyed a US nationally representative sample of 17, 507 respondents (6595 smokers) in January through February 2013, and used linear regression to calculate weighted point estimates and identify factors associated with support for POS policies among adults and smokers. RESULTS Overall, nonsmokers were more supportive than were smokers. Regardless of smoking status, African Americans, Hispanics, women, and those of older ages were more supportive than White, male, and younger respondents, respectively. Policy support varied by provision. More than 80% of respondents supported minors' access restrictions and more than 45% supported graphic warnings. Support was lowest for plain packaging (23%), black-and-white advertising (26%), and a ban on menthol cigarettes (36%). CONCLUSIONS Public support for marketing and POS provisions is low relative to other areas of tobacco control. Tobacco-control advocates and the Food and Drug Administration should build on existing levels of public support to promote and maintain evidence-based, but controversial, policy changes in the retail environment.
Family-Based Association Study Between SLC2A1, HK1, and LEPR Polymorphisms With Myelomeningocele in Chile

Obese/diabetic mothers present a higher risk to develop offspring with myelomeningocele (MM), evidence supporting the role of energy homeostasis-related genes in neural tube defects. Using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism, we have genotyped SLC2A1, HK1, and LEPR single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 105 Chilean patients with MM and their parents in order to evaluate allele–phenotype associations by means of allele/haplotype transmission test (TDT) and parent-of-origin effects. We detected an undertransmission for the SLC2A1 haplotype T-A (rs710218-rs2229682; P = .040), which was not significant when only lower MM (90% of the cases) was analyzed. In addition, the leptin receptor rs1137100 G allele showed a significant increase in the risk of MM for maternal-derived alleles in the whole sample (2.43-fold; P = .038) and in lower MM (3.20-fold; P = .014). Our results support the role of genes involved in energy homeostasis in the risk of developing MM, thus sustaining the hypothesis of diverse pathways and genetic mechanisms acting in the expression of such birth defect.
Altered expression of transforming growth factor‐β1 mrna and protein in mouse skin carcinogenesis

Transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1, whose gene is located on mouse chromosome 7, has been proposed to be involved in skin carcinogenesis. In the study presented here, we demonstrated that single topical treatments with different types of tumor promoters, i.e., the protein kinase C activator 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA, 2 μg); the non–protein kinase C activators anthralin (22.6 μg), benzoyl peroxide (20 mg), and cumene hydroperoxide (1.2 mg); the first‐stage tumor promoters 4‐O‐methyl‐TPA (500 μg) and A23187 (166 μg); and the second‐stage tumor promoter mezerein (2 μg) produced transient induction of TGF‐β1 mRNA in SSIN (inbred SENCAR) mouse skin. The time of maximum induction varied from 3 to 12 h; the relative extent of induction was ranked as cumene hydroperoxide > benzoyl peroxide > anthralin > TPA > 4‐O‐methyl‐TPA > mezerein > A23187. These findings suggested that TGF‐β1 mRNA induction is a common response of skin to several types of complete and stage‐specific promoters; however, the extent of induction did not correlate with the reported hyperplastic activity of single applications of these promoters. We also demonstrated that TGF‐β1 mRNA expression in papillomas of SENCAR mice generally correlated with expression levels of cyclin D1, another gene on chromosome 7, and with stage of tumor progression. TGF‐β1 mRNA expression was constitutively elevated in most squamous cell carcinomas from either initiation‐promotion or complete carcinogenesis protocols. Cell lines established from carcinomas also overexpressed TGF‐β1 mRNA. Immunohistochemical staining of tissue sections of normal and TPA‐treated skin revealed the presence of extracellular TGF‐β1 protein in the dermis and intracellular TGF‐β1 protein in the epidermis, especially in the suprabasal layers. The staining patterns of papillomas varied, with 62 ± 13% of the tissue showing strong intracellular staining but only 25 ± 8% of the connective tissue staining for extracellular TGF‐β1. Variable staining patterns were also found in carcinomas; some areas stained heavily for both the intracellular and extracellular forms of TGF‐β1. Overall, 28 ± 6% of the tissue of the 12 analyzed carcinomas stained for the intracellular form and 18 ± 5% for the extracellular from of TGF‐β1. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The impact of chewing gum on halitosis parameters: a systematic review

This study aimed to analyze the impact of chewing gum on halitosis parameters. Three databases were searched with the following focused question: ‘Can chewing gum additionally reduce halitosis parameters, such as organoleptic scores and volatile sulfur compounds (VSC), when compared to a control treatment’? Controlled clinical trials presenting at least two halitosis measurements (organoleptic scores and/or VSC) were included. Ten studies were included, and different active ingredients were used. One study was performed using a chewing gum without any active ingredient. Chewing gum containing probiotic bacterium was shown to significantly reduce the organoleptic scores. Chewing gums containing zinc acetate and magnolia bark extract as well as allylisothiocyanate (AITC) with zinc lactate significantly reduced the levels of VSC in comparison to a placebo chewing gum. Furthermore, a sodium bicarbonate-containing chewing gum significantly reduced the VSC levels in comparison to rinsing with water. Furthermore, eucalyptus-extract chewing gum showed significant reductions in both organoleptic scores and VSC when compared with a control chewing gum. Chewing gum containing sucrose was able to reduce the VSC levels, in comparison to xylitol and zinc citrate chewing gum, but only for 5 min. It was concluded that chewing gums containing probiotics Lactobaccilus, zinc acetate and magnolia bark extract, eucalyptus-extract, and AITC with zinc lactate may be suitable for halitosis management. However, the low number of included studies and the high heterogeneity among the selected studies may limit the clinical applications of these findings.
Modified adenoviral vectors ablated for coxsackievirus-adenovirus receptor, alphav integrin, and heparan sulfate binding reduce in vivo tissue transduction and toxicity.

Coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), alphav integrins, and heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans (HSGs) are the tropism determinants of adenoviral (Ad) vectors in vivo. For the development of a targeted Ad vector, its broad tropism needs to be blocked (or reduced). We have previously developed Ad vectors with ablation of CAR, alphav integrin, and HSG binding by mutation of the FG loop in the fiber knob (deletion of T489, A490, Y491, and T492 of the fiber protein), deletion of the RGD motif of the penton base, and substitution of the fiber shaft domain for that derived from Ad type 35, respectively, and have shown that this triple-mutant Ad vector [Ad/deltaF(FG)deltaP-S35-L2] exhibits significantly lower transduction in mouse liver compared with the conventional Ad vector [Koizumi, N. , Mizuguchi, H. , Sakurai, F. , Yamaguchi, T. , Watanabe, Y. , and Hayakawa, T. (2003). J. Virol. 77, 13062-13072]. In the present study, we optimized the fiber knob mutation for further reduced in vivo transduction and examined toxicity of the modified Ad vectors. Ad/deltaF(AB)deltaPS35- L2, a triple-mutant Ad vector containing a mutation of the AB loop in the fiber knob (R412S, A415G, E416G, and K417G), mediated approximately 15,000- and 500-fold lower mouse liver transduction by intravenous and intraperitoneal administration, respectively, than the conventional Ad vector, and mediated 10- fold lower mouse liver transduction than did Ad/deltaF(FG)deltaP-S35-L2. Ad/deltaF(AB)deltaP-S35-L2 also exhibited lower transduction of other organs compared with Ad/deltaF(FG)deltaP-S35-L2 and the conventional Ad vector. Levels of both liver serum enzymes (aspartate transferase [AST] and alanine transferase (ALT)] and interleukin (IL)-6 in mouse serum after intravenous administration of Ad/deltaF(AB)deltaP-S35-L2 were similar to those in the nontreatment mouse serum, whereas the conventional Ad vector led to high levels of AST, ALT, and IL-6. We therefore succeeded in further improving the mutant Ad vector, abolishing both viral natural tropism and toxicity. This new Ad vector appears to be a fundamental vector for targeted gene delivery.