Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fair charging strategies for EVs connected to a low-voltage distribution network

The development of smart grid technologies and appropriate charging strategies are key to accommodating large numbers of Electric Vehicles (EV) charging on the grid. In this paper a general framework is presented for formulating the EV charging optimization problem and three different charging strategies are investigated and compared from the perspective of charging fairness while taking into account power system constraints. Two strategies are based on distributed algorithms, namely, Additive Increase and Multiplicative Decrease (AIMD), and Distributed Price-Feedback (DPF), while the third is an ideal centralized solution used to benchmark performance. The algorithms are evaluated using a simulation of a typical residential low voltage distribution network with 50% EV penetration.
A Comparison of the QIDS-C16, QIDS-SR16, and the MADRS in an Adult Outpatient Clinical Sample

ABSTRACT Background: This study compared the 16-item Clinician and Self-Report versions of the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-C16 and QIDS-SR16) and the 10-item Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) in adult outpatients. The comparison was based on psychometric features and their performance in identifying those in a major depressive episode as defined by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Methods: Of 278 consecutive outpatients, 181 were depressed. Classical test theory, factor analysis, and item response theory were used to evaluate the psychometric features and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Results: All three measures were unidimensional. All had acceptable reliability (coefficient α=.87 for MADRS10, .82 for QIDS-C16, and .80 for QIDS-SR16). Test information function was higher for the MADRS (ie, it was most sensitive to individual differences in levels of depression). The MADRS and QIDS-C16 slightly but consistently outperformed the QIDS-SR16 in differentiating between depressed versus non-depressed patients. Conclusion: All three measures have satisfactory psychometric properties and are valid screening tools for a major depressive episode.
Service quality, satisfaction, and customer loyalty in Airbnb accommodation in Thailand

This paper investigates service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty in Airbnb accommodation. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a non-probability sample of 202 international tourists in Phuket, Thailand, which is one of the top tourist destinations worldwide. The results verify that a positive relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty exists, and that satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between service quality and loyalty. Furthermore, the paper suggests key steps managers could take to enhance customer experience in a way that would benefit the lodgings industry and the destinations.
Efficacy and safety of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine in cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's disease dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies: systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

Objective Recently, several large randomised controlled trials about the treatments of cognitive impairment or dementia due to Parkinson's disease (CIND-PD or PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) were completed. Here, we systematically reviewed the studies (including the recent reports) to provide updated evidence for the treatments of CIND-PD, PDD and DLB. Methods We searched Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group Specialised Register, Pubmed, Embase, and other sources for eligible trials. We selected global impression and cognitive function as primary efficacy outcomes, and dropouts and adverse events as safety outcomes. Furthermore, Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were used here. Results Ten trials were included in this study. Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine produced small global efficacy on clinicians’ global impression of change (CGIC), from a weighted mean difference of −0.40 (95% CI −0.77 to −0.03) to −0.65 (95% CI −1.28 to −0.01); however, cholinesterase inhibitors but not memantine significantly improved cognition on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), from 1.04 (95% CI 0.43 to 1.65) to 2.57 (95% CI 0.90 to 4.23). Additionally, both of them had good safety outcomes, although rivastigmine showed an increased risk on adverse events than placebo (risk ratio, RR 1.19, TSA adjusted 95% CI 1.04 to 1.36), these events were usually mild or moderate, and the risk disappeared on serious adverse events. Conclusions Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine slightly improve global impression; however, only cholinesterase inhibitors enhance cognitive function. Besides, all the drugs have good safety outcomes. But the limited trials precluded the generalisation of these outcomes.
Seroprevalence of Babesia canis Infection in Clinically Healthy Dogs From Western Romania

Abstract: Serum samples from 197 clinically healthy dogs residing in the Banat Region, the western historical part of Romania, were assayed by an indirect fluorescent antibody test for the presence of anti-Babesia canis antibodies. Overall, the seroprevalence was 19.8% (39/197). The percent of seropositive dogs in rural areas (28.4%; 19/67) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to dogs living in urban areas (15.4%; 20/130). Seroprevalence of B. canis infection in hunting dogs was also found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to canines with other lifestyles, but no significant difference was found between companion and kennel dogs. The statistical analysis showed that no significant differences (P > 0.05) were present between the seroprevalence of infected animals associated with age, gender, or breed. The hunting lifestyle was the only factor (OR = 4.57; 95% CI = 2.1–10.2; P = 0.002) positively associated with seroprevalence in dogs and can be considered the risk factor in the acquisition of infection. Also, the results of the present survey indicate that infection with B. canis in dogs is common in the sampling area and that it is an important pathogen for the local canine population.
Foxp3+ natural regulatory T cells preferentially form aggregates on dendritic cells in vitro and actively inhibit their maturation

Naturally occurring CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) suppress in vitro the proliferation of other T cells in a cell-contact-dependent manner. Dendritic cells (DCs) appear to be a target of Treg-mediated immune suppression. We show here that, in coculture of dye-labeled Treg cells and CD4+CD25− naïve T cells in the presence of T cell receptor stimulation, Treg cells, which are more mobile than naïve T cells in vitro, out-compete the latter in aggregating around DCs. Deficiency or blockade of leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) (CD11a/CD18) abrogates Treg aggregation, whereas that of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) (CD152) does not. After forming aggregates, Treg cells specifically down-regulate the expression of CD80/86, but not CD40 or class II MHC, on DCs in both a CTLA-4- and LFA-1-dependent manner. Notably, Treg exerts this CD80/86-down-modulating effect even in the presence of strong DC-maturating stimuli, such as GM-CSF, TNF-α, IFN-γ, type I IFN, and lipopolysaccharide. Taken together, as a possible mechanism of in vitro Treg-mediated cell contact-dependent suppression, we propose that antigen-activated Treg cells exert suppression by two distinct steps: initial LFA-1-dependent formation of Treg aggregates on immature DCs and subsequent LFA-1- and CTLA-4-dependent active down-modulation of CD80/86 expression on DCs. Both steps prevent antigen-reactive naïve T cells from being activated by antigen-presenting DCs, resulting in specific immune suppression and tolerance.
Vitamin B-12 Status Is Not Associated with Plasma Homocysteine in Parents and Their Preschool Children: Lacto-Ovo, Lacto, and Ovo Vegetarians and Omnivores

Objective: Vegetarians may be at risk of certain nutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 deficiency may increase plasma homocysteine concentration and thus may potentially increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in vegetarians. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare plasma homocysteine and vitamin B-12 status in vegetarian and omnivorous preschool children and their parents. In addition, the association between parents' and children's homocysteine and vitamin B-12 concentration was also examined. Methods: Fifty-six omnivores (28 preschool children and one of their parents), 34 lacto-ovo vegetarians (16 parents and 18 children), 5 ovo vegetarians (2 parents and 3 children), 1 lacto vegetarian parent, and 2 vegan parents were enrolled in this study. The mean age of preschool children was 5.1 ± 1.3 years and that of their parent was 35.4 ± 4.2 years. Nutrient intakes were recorded using 3-day dietary records. Fasting venous blood samples were obtained to measure serum creatinine, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hematological parameters, plasma homocysteine, serum folate, and vitamin B-12 concentrations. Results: There was no significant difference in dietary folate intake between vegetarian and omnivores within parent and child groups. The mean plasma homocysteine level of vegetarian parents and their children was in the physiological range, and they had slightly but not significantly higher plasma homocysteine levels than omnivores. Omnivorous parents and their children had significantly higher vitamin B-12 intake than vegetarian participants but similar serum vitamin B-12 concentrations. Plasma homocysteine concentration was significantly and negatively associated with only serum folate levels (β = −0.15) and dietary vitamin B-12 intake (β = −0.05) in the omnivorous parents after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, and serum creatinine. Conclusion: Vegetarian parents and their preschool children had a lower vitamin B-12 intake than omnivorous parents and their preschool children but similar plasma vitamin B-12 and homocysteine concentrations. Plasma homocysteine was not associated with serum vitamin B-12 levels in the parent, child, or pooled group.
Mediating Influences of Attitude on Internal and External Factors Influencing Consumers’ Intention to Purchase Organic Foods in China

As with environment and sustainable development, there has been a rapid rise in the worldwide consumption of organic foods over the last years, as well as the quickly growing potential of organic markets in China, and their direct influence on consumer health awareness and social opinion. This study provides insights into Chinese consumers’ attitudes toward organic foods and evaluates purchase intention’s impact as a mediator in the relationship between external and internal factors on purchase intention. This empirical study is based on an online questionnaire using a sample of 1421 Chinese consumers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used as the main practical approach for data analysis, and six hypotheses were examined. The results show that a more positive attitude on the part of consumers toward organic foods will further reinforce their purchasing intentions, whereas, there was no significant impact of marketing price and communication on consumers’ attitudes toward organic foods. Furthermore, the results show that intention was a full or a whole mediator among the three exogenous constructs of environment awareness, health consciousness, and subjective norms. Based on the findings, marketing communication strategies should concentrate on offering more value to consumers regarding the features of nutritional value. Long-term environment friendliness, health benefits, and social status symbols should be assumed to enhance consumers’ purchase intention in the organic foods industry.
Predictive Value of Metabolic Tumor Volume Measured by 18F-FDG PET for Regional Lymph Node Status in Patients With Esophageal Cancer

Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate the predictive value of metabolic tumor volume (MTV) measured by 18F-FDG PET/CT for regional lymph node (rLN) metastasis in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: A retrospective review identified 54 patients with surgically resected esophageal cancer who received 18F-FDG PET/CT at diagnosis of cancer. The 18F-FDG PET/CT findings for all primary cancer and rLN involvement were compared with the pathologic diagnosis within 5 weeks after surgical resection. The pathologic diagnoses of rLN state were confirmed by surgical resection. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the associations among the pathologic rLN status and age, sex, T stage, location, differentiation, maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), MTV2.5, and MTV3. Results: The rLN(+) group showed statistically significant higher value of SUVmax than the rLN(−) group (P = 0.0011). The rLN(+) group showed statistically significant higher value of MTV2.5 (P = 0.0004) and MTV3 (P = 0.0005) than the rLN(−) group. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, the SUVmax, MTV2.5, and MTV3 did not show the statistical differences for the prediction of pathologic rLN involvement in esophageal cancer. In univariate analysis, T stage, SUVmax, MTV2.5, and MTV3 were factors significantly associated with pathologic rLN involvement. However, in multivariate analysis, the MTV2.5 and MTV3 were factors significantly associated with pathologic rLN involvement in esophageal cancer. Conclusion: Based on the presented results, the MTV measured by 18F- FDG PET/CT is a useful method for the prediction of pathologic rLN status in esophageal cancer patients. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and improve statistical accuracy.
An investigation into the epidemiology of feline obesity in Great Britain: results of a cross-sectional study of 47 companion animal practises

Previous epidemiological studies of feline obesity have been restricted to small geographical areas of Great Britain. This study represents the first published description of the prevalence and risk factors for obesity from a nationally distributed population of cats. Data were gathered from 3227 cats through 47 primary companion animal veterinary practises. The overall prevalence of overweight/obesity was 11.5 per cent (95% confidence interval 10.4 per cent to 12.6 per cent) in cats attending the charity's clinics. Cats in Scotland appeared to have a greater age and neutered-adjusted prevalence compared with cats in England. Neutered status, being male and middle age (around 7 years), were all significant risk factors for feline overweight/obesity, although they did not fully explain an individual cat's risk of overweight/obesity. Breed was not found to be a statistically significant risk factor. Partial attributable fractions were calculated from each of the significant risk factors. Neutered status appeared to contribute the most to the prevalence of obesity, followed by prime/mature lifestage (3–10 years of age). Any interpretations of these findings should take into account the multitude of biases inherent in this study. Nevertheless, weight management following neutering appears to be very important to reduce the overall prevalence of overweight/obesity in this population of cats.
Local endoscopic therapy for intraepithelial high-grade neoplasia and early adenocarcinoma in Barrett's oesophagus: acute-phase and intermediate results of a new treatment approach

Background Radical oesophageal resection has until now been regarded as the gold standard for treatment in intraepithelial high-grade neoplasia or early adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. However, the mortality and morbidity rates are substantial. Design A new therapeutic approach involving low-risk endoscopic therapy modalities was examined in the framework of a prospective study. Patients A total of 115 patients with intraepithelial high-grade neoplasia (19) and early adenocarcinoma (96) in Barrett's oesophagus. Methods Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) was used in 70 patients, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) was used in 32 patients. The two procedures were combined in ten patients. Three patients underwent primary treatment with argon plasma coagulation (APC). The average follow-up was 34 ± 10 months (range 24–60 months). Results Complete local remission was achieved in 98%. The overall complication rate was 9.5%. Major complications, such as perforation and severe bleeding, did not occur. Minor complications included not haemoglobin relevant bleeding (drop of haemoglobin less than 2 g/dl) (5) and stenosis (3) after EMR, and long-lasting odynophagia (1) and sunburn (2) after PDT. In all, 13 patients have died so far, but in only one case due to the underlying disease. The calculated overall 3-year survival rate is 88%. During the follow-up period, a 30% rate of metachronous lesions was observed; endoscopic therapy was performed successfully in all but one of these patients. Conclusions These good acute-phase and intermediate results, along with low morbidity rates and no mortality, suggest that the organ-preserving local endoscopic procedure including EMR and PDT is an attractive alternative to oesophageal resection. Therefore, endoscopic therapy might replace radical oesophageal resection in future in cases of intraepithelial high-grade neoplasia and early mucosal adenocarcinoma in Barrett's oesophagus.
Fear of recurrence, breast‐conserving surgery, and the trade‐off hypothesis

Fear of recurrence has been at the heart of the controversy between surgeons favoring mastectomy versus those advocating a less radical operation. Breast‐conserving surgery is thought to result in a better body image, but patients are expected to worry more about a cancer recurrence because only a small part of the breast is excised. To assess survival rates after breast‐conserving intervention, patients were randomized into the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project (NSABP) prospective clinical trial (Protocol B06) with three treatment groups: total mastectomy, lumpectomy, and lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy. A fourth group was created to include patients who had a recurrence after their first operation and thus underwent a subsequent total mastectomy. Differences appeared, not according to the type of treatment, but with respect to the number of surgical interventions. Patients with multiple operations reported a greater fear of cancer recurrence and a worse body image, similar to those that underwent total mastectomy, Contrary to the trade‐off hypothesis, patients who underwent radical surgery did not manifest less fear of recurrence. These results show unequivocally that the expected trade‐off between breast conservation and fear of cancer recurrence does not occur. Those who undergo lumpectomy do not more express more fear of cancer than do patients who undergo mastectomy.
Motivations to remit.

Despite the important role played by migrants remittances no systematic theory of remittance behavior exists and surprisingly little statistical evidence on determinants of remittances has appeared. This paper presents several hypotheses with rrespect to motivations to remit. These range from pure altruism to remittance in the migrants self-interest. However a far richer array of predictions emerges from a model of tempered altruism or enlightened self-interest in which remittances are 1 element in a self-enforcing intertemporal implicit contract between migrant and home. In outlining these hypotheses testable implications are emphasized. These are explored in relation to data from Botswana. In that context the pure altruism model is rejected. Evidence consistent with certain predictions of an enlightened self-interest model is discussed. The paper closes with some thoughts on dualistic theories o development when mutually beneficial understandings between urban migrants and rural homes prevail. (authors)
Hiding the long latency of persist barriers using speculative execution

Byte-addressable non-volatile memory technology is emerging as an alternative for DRAM for main memory. This new Non-Volatile Main Memory (NVMM) allows programmers to store important data in data structures in memory instead of serializing it to the file system, thereby providing a substantial performance boost. However, modern systems reorder memory operations and utilize volatile caches for better performance, making it difficult to ensure a consistent state in NVMM. Intel recently announced a new set of persistence instructions, clflushopt, clwb, and pcommit. These new instructions make it possible to implement fail-safe code on NVMM, but few workloads have been written or characterized using these new instructions. In this work, we describe how these instructions work and how they can be used to implement write-ahead logging based transactions. We implement several common data structures and kernels and evaluate the performance overhead incurred over traditional non-persistent implementations. In particular, we find that persistence instructions occur in clusters along with expensive fence operations, they have long latency, and they add a significant execution time overhead, on average by 20.3% over code with logging but without fence instructions to order persists. To deal with this overhead and alleviate the performance bottleneck, we propose to speculate past long latency persistency operations using checkpoint-based processing. Our speculative persistence architecture reduces the execution time overheads to only 3.6%.
The impact of polymyxin B dosage on in-hospital mortality of patients treated with this antibiotic.

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of dosage on in-hospital mortality of patients receiving intravenous polymyxin B. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was performed from January 2003 to December 2009. Patients ≥ 18 years receiving intravenous polymyxin B for ≥ 72 h were analysed. Clinical covariates were assessed and data were retrieved from medical records. Subgroup analyses were performed in patients with microbiologically confirmed infections and in patients with bacteraemia. Renal toxicity was also assessed. Logistic regression models (LRMs) were performed for the entire cohort and subgroups. RESULTS A total of 276 patients were included. The overall in-hospital mortality was 60.5% (167 of 276). The final LRM showed that severe sepsis or septic shock [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.22-7.46], presence of mechanical ventilation (aOR 3.14; 95% CI 1.73-5.71), Charlson co-morbidity score (aOR 1.25; 95% CI 1.09-1.44) and age (aOR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01-1.04) were independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality, while ≥ 200 mg/day polymyxin B was associated with lower risk for this outcome (aOR 0.43; 95% CI 0.23-0.79). The effect of ≥ 200 mg/day polymyxin B on in-hospital mortality was higher in both subgroups (microbiologically documented infections and bacteraemia). Patients receiving ≥ 200 mg/day of polymyxin B had significantly higher risk of severe renal impairment. CONCLUSION A dosage of ≥ 200 mg/day polymyxin B was associated with lower in-hospital mortality. The benefit of these higher doses outweighed the risk of severe renal dysfunction during therapy. Large prospective studies including pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis are still required to define the best dosage regimens of polymyxin B.
The Association between Dividend Payout and Firm Growth: Australian Evidence

We report that whereas firms with high earnings distributions tend to have low&#8208;to&#8208;moderate growth (consistent with conventional theory), firms with low earnings distributions run the range between high and low performers. We interpret our findings for firm growth and payout policy in relation to the firm's location on the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix that combines high/low growth with high/low market share. Our findings suggest that the market has difficulty in distinguishing between these types of firms. A concern is that investor preferences as an outcome may be focussed on dividend&#8208;paying firms at the expense of younger growing firms in need of retained earnings.