Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Load balancing of multipath source routing in ad hoc networks

A load-balancing scheme has a significant effect on the performance of the multipath routing protocol, especially in an ad hoc network environment. In order to analyze the effect on the distribution of input traffic among multiple paths in MSR (multipath source routing), we first established a network queuing model that would incorporate the cross-traffic among these paths. We then considered the load balancing as an optimization problem. The solution to the optimization problem is interestingly in accordance with the heuristic equation proposed by Wang ICC'2001 (2001). Our simulation results show that MSR with load balancing is so effective that the end-to-end delay is decreased significantly while the network resource can be utilized more efficiently than that in DSR (dynamic source routing).
Mergers with Differentiated Products: The Case of Ready-to-Eat Cereal

Traditional merger analysis, based on market definition and use of concentration measures to infer potential anti-competitive effects, is problematic and difficult to implement when evaluating mergers in industries with differentiated products. This paper discusses an alternative which consists of a front-end estimation of demand and back-end use of a model of post-merger conduct to simulate the competitive effects of a merger. I discuss and demonstrate the use of different methods of estimating demand. Furthermore, I show how the estimated demand parameters can be used to compute the post-merger price equilibrium (rather than just an approximation to it) and changes in welfare. The methodology is applied to two recent mergers and two hypothetical mergers in the ready-to-eat cereal industry. The results clearly demonstrate the importance of the model used in front-end estimation and the computation of equilibrium in determining the competitive effects of a merger.
Hepcidin: from discovery to differential diagnosis

Hepcidin was discovered in 2000. This cysteine-rich peptide was named hepcidin because of its origin in the liver and its antimicrobial properties. Subsequent studies showed that hepcidin is the principal regulator of body iron homeostasis. This review article examines our current knowledge of the pathophysiology of hepcidin. Although iron is essential for living organisms to survive, its reactive properties require strict regulation in order to prevent toxic effects. Hepcidin, a liver produced peptide hormone, is thought to be the central regulator of body iron metabolism. Its production is mainly controlled by the erythropoietic activity of the bone-marrow, the amount of circulating and stored body iron, and inflammation. Recent reports, however, provide new hypotheses on how hepcidin might exert its regulatory function. Although hepcidin was first discovered in human urine and serum, most of our understanding of hepcidin regulation and action comes from in vitro and mice studies that often use hepcidin mRNA expression as a read out. The difficulties in carrying out studies in humans have mostly been due to the lack of suitable hepcidin assay. The recent development of assays to measure hepcidin in serum and urine has offered new opportunities to study hepcidin regulation in humans. However, for the moment, only a small number of laboratories are able to perform these assays. The aim of this review is to discuss insights into hepcidin regulation obtained from recent clinical studies in the light of findings from in vitro and mice studies. Ongoing studies in humans should provide us with more information on the etiology of iron metabolism disorders in order to create new therapeutic strategies and improve differential diagnosis protocols for these diseases.
Planar waveguides as efficient transducers for bioaffinity sensors

Specific detection of extremely low amounts of antigens or disease markers allowing the diagnosis of diseases and infections at a very early stage has become a major driving force for the development of new generations of biochemical sensors. To match this goal, we propose the substitution of the widely used fiber-shaped evanescent field sensors by planar single-mode metal oxide waveguides. In combination with bioaffinity assays, this transducer geometry offers benefits such as enhanced sensitivity, ease of sensor handling and preparation, sample volume reduction, versatility, and low cost per test. Recently, planar waveguides have been used in sensor schemes exploiting the changes of the so-called effective refractive index (caused by changes in mass of surface-bound biomolecules): grating couplers, surface plasmon resonance, and interferometers. However, compared to luminescence-based sensor schemes, the sensitivities of these label-free methods are inferior. In this paper we report on a new generation of luminescence- based bioaffinity sensors for human diagnostics including optimization of the planar evanescent field transducers, the design of a compact sensor system, and a first study of the binding of fluorophore-labeled IgG to protein A immobilized on the transducer.
Paracrine immunotherapy with interleukin-2 and local chemotherapy is synergistic in the treatment of experimental brain tumors.

Potent immune responses against malignant brain tumors can be elicited by paracrine intracranial (i.c.) immunotherapy with interleukin (IL)-2. Additionally, i.c. delivery of carmustine via biodegradable polymers has been shown to significantly prolong survival in both animal models and clinical trials. In this study, we show that the combination of paracrine immunotherapy, with nonreplicating genetically engineered tumor cells that produce IL-2, and local delivery of chemotherapy by biodegradable polymers prolongs survival in a synergistic manner in mice challenged intracranially with a lethal murine brain tumor. Animals receiving IL-2-transduced cells and polymers containing 10% 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea had significantly improved survival compared with animals receiving IL-2-transduced cells or 10% 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea alone. Median survival for the control group was 19 days. Survival in animals receiving IL-2-transduced cells and 1% carboplatin-containing polymers was also significantly improved compared with either therapy alone. Histopathological examination on day 14 of animals receiving combination treatment showed rare degenerating tumor cells. In addition to tissue necrosis surrounding the polymer, a marked inflammatory reaction was observed. In long-term survivors (all animals receiving combination treatment), no tumor was observed and the inflammatory reaction was completely resolved. The brains of animals receiving combination therapy showed both tissue necrosis due to local chemotherapy and strong inflammation due to paracrine immunotherapy. The demonstration of synergy between paracrine IL-2 and local i.c. delivery of antineoplastic drugs is novel and may provide a combined treatment strategy for use against both primary and metastatic i.c. tumors.
Big graph-based Data visualization experiences: The WordNet case study

In the Big Data era, the visualization of large data sets is becoming an increasingly relevant task due to the great impact that data have from a human perspective. Since visualization is the closer phase to the users within the data life cycle's phases, there is no doubt that an effective, efficient and impressive representation of the analyzed data may result as important as the analytic process itself. This paper presents an experience for importing, querying and visualizing graph database and in particular, we describe as a case study the WordNet database using Neo4J and Cytoscape. We will describe each step in this study focusing on the used strategies for overcoming the different problems mainly due to the intricate nature of the case study. Finally, an attempt to define some criteria to simplify the large-scale visualization of WordNet will be made, providing some examples and considerations which have arisen.
Multilevel Chinese Takeaway Process and Label-Based Processes for Rule Induction in the Context of Automated Sports Video Annotation

We propose four variants of a novel hierarchical hidden Markov models strategy for rule induction in the context of automated sports video annotation including a multilevel Chinese takeaway process (MLCTP) based on the Chinese restaurant process and a novel Cartesian product label-based hierarchical bottom-up clustering (CLHBC) method that employs prior information contained within label structures. Our results show significant improvement by comparison against the flat Markov model: optimal performance is obtained using a hybrid method, which combines the MLCTP generated hierarchical topological structures with CLHBC generated event labels. We also show that the methods proposed are generalizable to other rule-based environments including human driving behavior and human actions.
Early Life Events Carry Over to Influence Pre-Migratory Condition in a Free-Living Songbird

Conditions experienced during development can have long-term consequences for individual success. In migratory songbirds, the proximate mechanisms linking early life events and survival are not well understood because tracking individuals across stages of the annual cycle can be extremely challenging. In this paper, we first use a 13 year dataset to demonstrate a positive relationship between 1st year survival and nestling mass in migratory Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis). We also use a brood manipulation experiment to show that nestlings from smaller broods have higher mass in the nest relative to individuals from larger broods. Having established these relationships, we then use three years of field data involving multiple captures of individuals throughout the pre-migratory period and a multi-level path model to examine the hypothesis that conditions during development limit survival during migration by affecting an individual's ability to accumulate sufficient lean tissue and fat mass prior to migration. We found a positive relationship between fat mass during the pre-migratory period (Sept–Oct) and nestling mass and a negative indirect relationship between pre-migratory fat mass and fledging date. Our results provide the first evidence that conditions during development limit survival during migration through their effect on fat stores. These results are particularly important given recent evidence showing that body condition of songbirds at fledging is affected by climate change and anthropogenic changes to landscape structure.
Risky wandering behaviors of persons with dementia predict family caregivers’ health outcomes

ABSTRACT Objectives: To examine the relationships between dementia persons' risky wandering behaviors and family caregivers’ physical and mental health. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using the original cross-sectional data from180 dyads. The Risky Wandering and Adverse Outcome model assessed behaviors of eloping and getting lost outside the house for dementia persons. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient and hierarchical regressions. Results: The mean age of caregivers was 56.01 years (SD = 13.8); 65% were female. Younger caregivers experienced greater physical fatigue and sleep disturbance. Presence of foreign helpers predicted a reduction in mental and physical fatigue of caregiver (β = −0.186, p < .05; β = 0.198, p < .05, respectively). Getting lost outside of the house influenced caregivers' mental fatigue (β = 0–0.215, p < .05); eloping behavior influenced caregivers' sleep disturbance (β = 0.231, p < .05). Care-receivers’ activities of daily living affected caregivers’ depressive symptoms (β = −0.179, p < .05). Conclusions: Dementia family caregiver physical and mental health problems have distinct predictors. Employing the Risky Wandering and Adverse Outcome model could inform policy makers regarding long-term care resources to improve dementia care.
Hitting the target: adding interaction design to agile software development

Extreme Programming appears to be a solution for discovering and meeting requirements faster (through close customer collaboration) as well as creating quality software. In practice we found XP did deliver high quality software quickly, but the resulting product still failed to delight the customer. Although the finished product should have been an exact fit, the actual end-user still ended up slogging through the system to accomplish necessary day-to-day work. This paper describes using interaction design in an agile development process to resolve this issue. Using interaction design as a day-to-day practice throughout an iterative development process helps our team at Tomax Technologies deliver high quality software, while feeling confident the resulting software will more likely meet end-user expectations. The method of Interaction Design followed here is based on Constantine and Lockwood's Usage-Centered Design. Recommendations are provided on how to practice an agile form of U-CD and how to incorporate bits of Interaction Design thinking into every day development and product planning decisions.
Superplasticity studies in a beta titanium alloy

Purpose: In the present study, the Superplastic Forming and deformation behavior as well as related mechanisms of this titanium alloy were investigated. Design/methodology/approach: The high temperature deformation of a beta titanium alloy (Ti-15V-3Cr3Sn-3Al) was studied in this work. Uniaxial tensile tests were carried out at 650, 750, 850 and 950°C with an initial strain rates from 10-1s-1 to 10-4s-1. The effects of temperatures and initial strain rates on the superplasticity of this alloy were studied. Findings: The studies showed that dynamic recrystallization took place during high temperature deformation and this process not only decrease the average grain size of the alloy but also increase the misorientation angle. Microstructure evolution during high temperature forming as well as related mechanisms were also investigated. Practical implications: The investigation of microstructure of beta titanium alloy as related phenomens during high temperature deformation are important for achieving desired mechanical behavior of the material. Originality/value: The Superplasticity studies in a beta titanium alloy as well as related mechanism are investigated.
Acoustic model optimisation for a call routing system

The paper presents work aimed at optimising acoustic models for the AutoSecretary call routing system. To develop the optimised acoustic models: (1) an appropriate phone set was selected and used to create a pronunciation dictionary, (2) various cepstral normalization techniques were investigated, (3) three South African corpora and multiple training data combinations were used to train the acoustic models, and, (4) model-space transformations were applied. Using an independent testing corpus, which contained proper names and South African language names, a named-language recognition accuracy of 95.11 % and proper name recognition accuracy of 93.31% were obtained.
Effects of material microstructure and surface geometry on ultrasonic scattering and flaw detection

This dissertation studies the effect of two practical attributes of structural materials on ultrasonic inspection. The effects of the material microstructure of polycrystalline aluminum alloys on propagating ultrasonic waves and the effects of surface curvature and roughness on ultrasonic scattering and flaw detectability arc both addressed. The relationships between ultrasonic properties (velocity, attenuation, and backscattering) and the microstructure are studied both experimentally and theoretically for rolled aluminum samples with highly elongated grains. Attenuation measurements show a very small anisotropy, whereas backscattering measurements show a very high anisotropy. Existing theories and related extensions are able to explain these physical phenomena. Three approaches are proposed to simultaneously determine grain size and shape. Each approach gives reasonably accurate estimates of grain size and shape. Three existing models are used to study how cylindrical surfaces affect transducer radiation fields and signal-to-noise ratios through a flaw detection example: the GaussHermite beam model, the Born flaw signal model, and the microstructural response model. The beam model can explain the defocusing effect of cylindrical surfaces. The flaw signal model and the microstructural response model combine to yield estimates of signal-to-noise ratios and the minimum detectable inclusion sizes. Two time-domain theories that can predict ultrasonic backscattered noise due to a periodically rough entry surface in a pulse/echo immersion test are presented. The first is an exact result and the second is a computationally efficient engineering approximation. Experimental verifications of the theories are presented at both normal incidence and oblique incidence. The predictions are compared to experiment, with good agreement between the theory and the experiment being observed in most cases. Practical implications of the theory for ultrasonic flaw detection and materials characterization are also discussed.
From Help-Seekers to Influential Users: A Systematic Review of Participation Styles in Online Health Communities

Background Understanding how people participate in and contribute to online health communities (OHCs) is useful knowledge in multiple domains. It is helpful for community managers in developing strategies for building community, for organizations in disseminating information about health interventions, and for researchers in understanding the social dynamics of peer support. Objective We sought to determine if any patterns were apparent in the nature of user participation across online health communities. Methods The current study involved a systematic review of all studies that have investigated the nature of participation in an online health community and have provided a quantifiable method for categorizing a person based on their participation style. A systematic search yielded 20 papers. Results Participatory styles were classified as either multidimensional (based on multiple metrics) or unidimensional (based on one metric). With respect to the multidimensional category, a total of 41 different participation styles were identified ranging from Influential Users who were leaders on the board to Topic-Focused Responders who focused on a specific topic and tended to respond to rather than initiate posts. However, there was little overlap in participation styles identified both across OHCs for different health conditions and within OHCs for specific health conditions. Five of the 41 styles emerged in more than one study (Hubs, Authorities, Facilitators, Prime Givers, and Discussants), but the remainder were reported in only one study. The focus of the unidimensional studies was on level of engagement and particularly on high-engaged users. Eight different metrics were used to evaluate level of engagement with the greatest focus on frequency of posts. Conclusions With the exception of high-engaged users based on high post frequency, the current review found little evidence for consistent participatory styles across different health communities. However, this area of research is in its infancy, with most of the studies included in the review being published in the last 2 years. Nevertheless, the review delivers a nomenclature for OHC participation styles and metrics and discusses important methodological issues that will provide a basis for future comparative research in the area. Further studies are required to systematically investigate a range of participatory styles, to investigate their association with different types of online health communities and to determine the contribution of different participatory styles within and across online health communities.
IT management status in public higher education institutions in Thailand

Thai public higher education institutions have adopted information technology (IT) to some extent for many years. While IT adoption is an important strategy to make any organization competitive against others, there has been very little research on IT management issues and the depth of use of IT across Thai public higher education institutions. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the status of information system adoption in public higher education institutions in Thailand, and to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the adoption of IT. A questionnaire survey was sent to chief information officers (CIOs) or equivalent position of 81 target Thai public higher education institutions. The 63 valid responses (77.8%) received were analyzed by qualitative content analysis and descriptive statistics. This research outcome will reflect the overall IT adoption and IT management of Thai public higher education institutions.
Laminin-2/Integrin Interactions Enhance Myelin Membrane Formation by Oligodendrocytes

To examine the role of extracellular matrix (ECM)/integrin interactions in myelination we have analyzed oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin membrane formation in oligodendrocytes grown in cell culture. We have found that the ECM substrates fibronectin, vitronectin, and laminin-2 (merosin) have no effect on differentiation, as measured by the appearance of myelin basic protein-expressing cells, but that laminin-2 substrates dramatically enhance myelin membrane formation. Blocking antibody and immunolocalization studies suggest that this effect is mediated via 1 integrins. The v integrins expressed on oligodendrocytes, in contrast, are less effective at promoting membrane formation. These results show that the interaction between laminin-2 expressed in white matter tracts and oligodendrocyte laminin-binding integrins may be an important part of the signalling mechanisms that stimulate oligodendrocytes to elaborate the extensive myelin membrane required to wrap the axon and form the myelin sheath. The results also provide a logical explanation for the abnormalities of myelination observed in humans with merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy.
Role of Dicer Enzyme in the Regulation of Store Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE) in CD4+ T Cells

Background/Aims: Activation of T cell receptors (TCRs) in CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells leads to a cascade of signalling reactions including increase of intracellular calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>) levels with subsequent Ca<sup>2+</sup> dependent stimulation of gene expression, proliferation, cell motility and cytokine release. The increase of cytosolic Ca<sup>2+</sup> results from intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> release with subsequent activation of store-operated Ca<sup>2+</sup> entry (SOCE). Previous studies suggested miRNAs are required for the development and functions of CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. An enzyme called Dicer is required during the process of manufacturing mature miRNAs from the precursor miRNAs. In this study, we explored whether loss of Dicer in CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells affects SOCE and thus Ca<sup>2+</sup> dependent regulation of cellular functions. Methods: We tested the expression of Orai1 by q-RT-PCR and flow cytometry. Further, we measured SOCE by an inverted phase-contrast microscope with the Incident-light fluorescence illumination system using Fura-2. Intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> was also measured by flow cytometry using Ca<sup>2+</sup> sensitive dye Fluo-4. Results: We found that in Dicer deficient (Dicer<sup>Δ</sup><sup>/Δ</sup>) mice Orai1 was downregulated at mRNA and protein level in CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. Further, SOCE was significantly smaller in Dicer<sup>Δ</sup><sup>/Δ</sup> CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells than in CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells isolated from wild-type (Dicer<sup>fl/fl</sup>) mice. Conclusion: Our data suggest that miRNAs are required for adequate Ca<sup>2+</sup> entry into CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells and thus triggering of Ca<sup>2+</sup> sensitive immune functions.