Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elastic scaling of virtual clusters in cloud data center networks

Data Center Networks (DCNs) have become more extensively applied in cloud computing in recent years. One important mission for DCNs is to satisfy the fluctuation of on-demand resources for tenants. Existing works fail to fully consider the placement techniques and the elasticity of the physical resource in the DCN at the same time during the scaling of virtual clusters (VCs). To address this, we use elasticity to measure the scaling potential of VCs in terms of both computation and communication resources. In this paper, we consider elastic scaling for existing VCs to maximize the elasticity with the constraint of communication cost in the DCN. We achieve this through a resource allocation scheme, VCS, which comes with provable optimality guarantees for single VC scaling. After that, we extend our scheme for multiple VCs scaling, and we prove that scaling multiple VCs for the over-time elasticity maximization problem is NP-hard. We propose heuristic algorithms MVCS and OMVCS for both offline and online conditions for the multiple VCs scaling. Extensive simulations demonstrate that our elastic VC scaling placement schemes outperform existing state-of-the-art methods in terms of flexibility in the DCN.
Building Coalitions for a Diversified and Sustainable Tourism: Two Case Studies from Hungary

The development of the tourism sector has been a question of strategic importance for Hungary, a small, open economy with limited natural resources. At the same time, these efforts often generate considerable environmental conflicts, decreasing the sustainability of the environment. To understand the potential methods of sustainable tourism development, and to develop the optimal policy, it is essential to clarify the actors, their systems of interest and the potential ways of forging coalitions between them. The article presents an analysis of two case studies of rural tourism development: the “softening” of tourism at the most important touristic attraction in Hungary, Lake Balaton; and the conflicts arising from wine tourism development. Based on institutional economics, principle–agent theory and strategic management, and applying the MACTOR method, the authors identify the key actors, present the network of their mutual influences and goals, determine the most important conflicts and highlight the potential coalitions between them from the point of view of sustainable rural tourism development, as well as ways to further develop the regulatory environment. Based on this analysis, the article proves: (1) the importance of the modernization and re-organization of the public administration structure, focusing on optimal utilization of resources, as opposed to attaching to traditions; (2) the importance of forming clusters of different partners; (3) the strengthening of the knowledge base of decisions concerning sustainable tourism management; and (4) increasing conscious planning, based on the inclusion of different interest groups and long-term prognoses in local decision making, minimises the environmental burden of tourism.
In Vitro Effects of Pantoprazole on Platelet Aggregation in Blood Samples From Clopidogrel and Aspirin-treated Patients

Abstract: Platelet inhibition during treatment with the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel is prone to great interindividual variability and is believed to be affected by several factors such as genetics and drug–drug interactions. Proton pump inhibitors have been shown to interfere with the liver metabolism of clopidogrel. However, there are limited data on any direct effects proton pump inhibitors may have on clopidogrel. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the in vitro addition of pantoprazole affects platelet aggregation in blood samples from clopidogrel and aspirin-treated patients. Blood samples were drawn from 66 patients on clopidogrel and aspirin who underwent coronary angiography. Platelet aggregation was analyzed using the bed-side Plateletworks assay before and after the addition of 2 different amounts of pantoprazole. The addition of 2.5 &mgr;L (4 mg/mL) pantoprazole, final concentration 0.01 mg/mL, was followed by a significant reduction (26%, P ⩽ 0.001) of platelet aggregation, which was further reduced (39%, P ⩽ 0.001) when a higher dose, 10 &mgr;L (4 mg/mL), final concentration 0.04 mg/mL, was added. In conclusion, platelet aggregation was significantly decreased by in vitro addition of pantoprazole. To explore the clinical relevance of this, future studies are needed.
Agricultural Productivity and Forest Conservation: Evidence from the Brazilian Amazon

&NA; A mix of public policy and market interventions in the mid‐2000s led to historic reductions in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The collateral impact of these forest conservation policies on agricultural production is still poorly understood, though evidence is sorely needed given the economic importance of agriculture in Brazil and many other forest‐rich countries. We construct a ten‐year panel dataset for agriculture and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon (2004‐2014), and use two complementary difference‐in‐difference strategies to estimate the causal effect of one of Brazil's flagship anti‐deforestation strategies, the Priority List (Municípios Prioritários), on agricultural production and productivity in three sectors: beef, dairy, and crop production. We find no evidence for trade‐offs between agriculture and forest conservation. Rather, reductions in deforestation in priority municipalities were paired with increases in cattle production and productivity (cattle/hectare), consistent with a model where policy‐induced decreases in the value of clearing new land cause credit‐constrained farmers to shift investments from deforestation to capital investments in farming. The policy had no consistent effect on dairy or crop production. Our results suggest that in regions with large yield gaps and where technologies for increasing yields are readily available, efforts to constrain agricultural expansion through improved forest conservation policies may induce intensification.
Predictors of Irritable Bowel-Type Symptoms and Healthcare-Seeking Behavior Among Adults With Celiac Disease

Objectives: To assess the frequency of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-type symptoms and consecutive healthcare-seeking behavior, their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and their possible biopsychosocial determinants in adult patients with celiac disease (CD). Methods: A total of 1000 adult patients with CD from the German Celiac Society completed a medical (including bowel) and a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale through a postal survey. Results: Of 412 respondents with reported biopsy-proven diagnosis with major adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) for ≥1 year, 96 (23.3%) patients fulfilled the modified Rome I criteria for IBS. Of these 96 patients, 76 (79.2%) sought help (medical and/or nonmedical) due to bowel symptoms (referred to as patients with IBS). IBS-type symptoms had a significant negative impact on the physical summary score of the SF-36 (p = .05). Mental disorder (OR = 2.29; &bgr; = 0.83; p = .006); female sex (OR = 2.34; &bgr; = 0.85; p = .03), and occasional nonadherence to GFD (OR = 1.74; &bgr; = 0.56; p = .05) were risk factors for IBS-type symptoms. Active medical comorbidities predicted IBS-patient status (OR = 0.40; &bgr; = −0.92; p = .001). Conclusions: The data support the biopsychosocial model of IBS: IBS-type symptoms in adult patients with CD can be explained through an interaction of clinical and sociopsychological mechanisms. CD = celiac disease; FGID = functional gastrointestinal disorder; GFD = gluten-free diet; HRQOL = health-related quality of life; IBD = inflammatory bowel disease; IBS = irritable bowel syndrome.
Assailants or Saints?: Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Depictions on a Social Media Based City News Website

Recommended Citation Hochschild, Thomas R. Jr.; Alvarez-Rivera, Lorna; Hightower, Rikki; Zeaser, Alison; Prain, Taylor; and Lewis, Ra'Shone (2018) "Assailants or Saints? : Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Depictions on a Social Media Based City News Website," The Journal of Public and Professional Sociology: Vol. 10 : Iss. 2 , Article 5. Available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw. edu/jpps/vol10/iss2/5
Complete conservation of an immunogenic gene (lcr1) in Leishmania infantum and Leishmania chagasi isolated from Iran, Spain and Brazil.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Kala-azar is the visceral and most severe form of leishmaniasis that leads to death if untreated. The causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are members of Leishmania (L.) donovani complex which includes L. chagasi and L. infantum. Genome sequences have raised the question whether L. chagasi and L. infantum are synonymous or different. This question has important implications for clinical and epidemiological studies, evaluation of vaccines and drugs, and disease control. LCR1 is an immunogenic molecule discovered from L. chagasi with potential as a component of a Leishmania subunit vaccine. If this protein has potentials for being used in a vaccine or diagnostic testing, there should be little variability in this molecule between L. infantum isolates from diverse geographic regions. The aim of this study was to determine whether lcr1 of an Iranian strain of L. infantum was identical to lcr1 of both L. infantum strain from a different geographic region (Spain) and that of an L. chagasi isolate from Brazil. METHODS L. infantum isolated from an Iranian kala-azar patient was studied. Lcr1 from this isolate was PCR amplified, cloned, and studied by restriction digest analysis and sequencing. RESULTS The sequences of lcr1 of the Iranian L. infantum were completely identical at nucleotide level to lcr1 sequences of both the Spanish L. infantum and the Brazilian L. chagasi strains. CONCLUSION Complete conservation of the DNA sequence encoding for LCR1 molecule between geographically distinct Leishmania species adds credibility to the potential for LCR1 as a component of a subunit vaccine and diagnostic test for kala-azar.
A new pleiotropic mutation causing defective carbohydrate uptake in Escherichia coli K-12: isolation, mapping, and preliminary characterization

A new pleiotropic mutation, designated cup-1 (for carbohydrate uptake), which impairs the ability of Escherichia coli cells to grow on a large number of phosphotransferase system (PTS) and non-PTS carbohydrates by blocking their entry into the cells, has been isolated, partially characterized, and mapped. The mutants grew poorly even on rich and glucose minimal media. Fast-growing revertants rapidly accumulated in cultures grown on either of the above two media and made stable maintenance of the mutation difficult. Several extragenic suppressor mutations that permitted cup cells to grow on specific single sugars or groups of sugars have been isolated. One such suppressor, which enabled cup cells to grow as well on glycerol minimal medium as their wild-type parent, has been helpful in stably maintaining these cells in this medium. cup-1 has been mapped to 97 min on the standard E. coli map. It cotransduced with a transposon Tn10 inserted clockwise to it and (very weakly) with uxuA. Surprisingly, it failed to cotransduce with pyrB, argI, or valS, three markers located nearby but counterclockwise to it. In F' merodiploids, cup-1 was dominant over its cup+ allele. Cyclic AMP permitted growth of cup-1 cells on some sugars but not all. Apparently, reduced cyclic AMP level and therefore noninduction of several sugar operons is one but not the only effect of cup.
Haplotype effect in the IGF1 promoter accounts for the association between microsatellite and serum IGF1 concentration

Objective Systemic insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF1) level is an important risk factor for various diseases. The inter‐individual variation of serum IGF1 is determined by environmental and genetic factors, which are attributed to a microsatellite in IGF1 promoter. However, the exact nature of the underlying regulatory elements accounting for this association has not been characterized. Here, we defined the haplotype patterns, including both SNPs and the microsatellite, in the Chinese population, and investigated their regulatory effect on serum IGF1 level. This is the first study in which haplotype patterns of the microsatellite and SNPs in the IGF1 promoter are examined together.
Prevalence of diarrhoea in the community in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United States.

BACKGROUND Studies in several countries have estimated the prevalence of diarrhoea in the community. However, the use of different study designs and varying case definitions has made international comparisons difficult. METHODS Similar cross-sectional telephone surveys were conducted in Australia, Canada, Ireland (including Northern Ireland), and the United States over 12 month periods between 2000 and 2002. Each survey asked about diarrhoea in the four weeks before the interview. For this comparative analysis, uniform definitions were used. RESULTS Questionnaires were completed for 6087 respondents in Australia, 3496 in Canada, 9903 in Ireland, and 14,647 in the United States. In the four weeks prior to interview, at least one episode of diarrhoea was reported by 7.6% of respondents in Canada, 7.6% in the United States, 6.4% in Australia, and 3.4% in Ireland. The prevalence of diarrhoea was consistently higher in females. In all countries, the prevalence of diarrhoea was highest in children <5 years and lowest in persons > or =65 years of age. When diarrhoea and vomiting was considered, the prevalence was almost identical in the four studies (range: 2.0-2.6%). Despite different health care structures, a similar proportion of respondents sought medical care (approximately one in five). Antibiotic usage for the treatment of diarrhoea was reported by 8.3% of respondents in the United States, 5.6% in Ireland, 3.8% in Canada, and 3.6% in Australia. CONCLUSIONS Diarrhoea is a common illness among persons in the community in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United States. With similar methodologies and a standard case definition, age and sex patterns and health care seeking behaviour were remarkably consistent between countries.
Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone carrying the glycoprotein gene of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, a fish rhabdovirus

The nucleotide sequence of the mRNA encoding the glycoprotein of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus was determined from a cDNA clone containing the entire coding region. The G-protein cDNA is 1,609 nucleotides long (excluding the polyadenylic acid) and encodes a protein of 508 amino acids. The predicted amino acid sequence was compared with that of the glycoprotein of the Indiana and New Jersey serotypes of vesicular stomatitis virus and with the glycoprotein of rabies virus, using a computer program which determined optimal alignment. An amino acid identity of approximately 20% was found between infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus and the two vesicular stomatitis virus serotypes and between infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus and rabies virus. The positions and sizes of the signal sequence and transmembrane domain and the possible glycosylation sites were determined.
Bayesian methods for addressing long-standing problems in associative learning: The case of PREE

Most associative models typically assume that learning can be understood as a gradual change in associative strength that captures the situation into one single parameter, or representational state. We will call this view single-state learning. However, there is ample evidence showing that under many circumstances different relationships that share features can be learned independently, and animals can quickly switch between expressing one or another. We will call this multiple-state learning. Theoretically, it is understudied because it needs a different data analysis approach from those usually employed. In this article, we present a Bayesian model of the Partial Reinforcement Extinction Effect (PREE) that can test the predictions of the multiple-state view. This implies estimating the moment of change in the responses (from the acquisition to the extinction performance), both at the individual and group levels. We used this model to analyze data from a PREE experiment with three levels of reinforcement during acquisition (100%, 75% and 50%). We found differences in the estimated moment of switch between states during extinction, so that it was delayed after leaner partial reinforcement schedules. The finding is compatible with the multiple-state view. It is the first time, to our knowledge, that the predictions from the multiple-state view are tested directly. The article also aims to show the benefits that Bayesian methods can bring to the associative learning field.
Relationships between physical activity, obesity and meal frequency in adolescents

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the associations and impact of increased meal frequency, physical activity and ‘skipping’ breakfast on obesity levels in a sample of urban adolescents, aged 13–17 years old, from Porto, Portugal. Methods: Overweight and obesity were defined according to age- and sex-specific BMI cut-points. Daily meal frequency was assessed by questionnaire. Self-reported physical activity was recalled. Results: The proportion of overweight/obese girls (p ≤ 0.05) and boys (p ≤ 0.001) that consumed fewer than three meals was significantly higher than those reported from normal-weight counterparts. While no statistically significant differences were reported in girls, obese boys skipped breakfast significantly more (13% vs 5.6%; p ≤ 0.05) than normal-weight counterparts did. Normal-weight boys but not girls were significantly more active (p ≤ 0.01) than obese peers. An additional meal in boys (OR: 2.75; p ≤ 0.05) and girls (OR: 1.97; p ≤ 0.05) reduced the risk of being overweight/obese. Regardless of gender, breakfast skipping is not seen as a predictor of being overweight/obese. However, boys (OR: 2.10; p < 0.003), but not girls, who were moderately active were more likely to be of normal weight. Conclusion: The data indicate that increased meal frequency may have a beneficial effect on a reduced BMI. Physical activity and breakfast skipping may be candidate targets for prevention programmes aimed at reducing overweight/obesity among adolescents.
HOW HOTEL COMPANIES CAN FOSTER CUSTOMER SOCIABILITY BEHAVIOUR ON FACEBOOK?

Social network sites (hereinafter, SNSs) have become extremely popular, playing an important role in consumers’ every day lives. Empowered by SNSs, the customer becomes more active and spends more time with their family, friends or companies online. Therefore, companies seek to encourage online conversations for several beneficial reasons such as maintaining relationships with their customers and achieving customer loyalty. There are no widely accepted characteristics of company messages that foster customer sociability behaviour regarding likes, comments, shares and emotion expressions on Facebook in literature. The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of company messages that facilitate customer sociability behaviour on Facebook. The current study integrates content analysis and text analysis with the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Software (LIWC). The data were obtained from two five-star hotel brands on Facebook from 18th October 2016 to 18th October 2017. A total of 306 messages were collected. The results indicated that social messages generated more consumer likes, comments and emotional expressions on Facebook. The number of likes, comments and emotion expressions can be facilitated by images with humans. Messages accompanied with social words exhibit customer comments and emotion expressions.
MICOG defuzzification rough-neuro-fuzzy system ensemble

Most methods constituting the soft computing concept can not handle data with missing or unknown feature values. Neural networks are able to perfectly fit to data and fuzzy logic systems use interpretable knowledge. In the paper we incorporate rough set theory to neuro-fuzzy system of very specific type. This results in learning systems which can work when the set number of available feature values is changing. To achieve better accuracy learning systems can be combined into larger ensembles. In the paper the AdaBoost metalearning is used to create an ensemble of learning systems. The rough-neuro-fuzzy systems use knowledge comprised in the form of fuzzy rules to perform classification. Simulations on a well-known benchmark give legitimacy to use the method in real world applications.
Efficient and accurate log-Lévy approximations of Lévy-driven LIBOR models

The LIBOR market model is very popular for pricing interest rate derivatives, but is known to have several pitfalls. In addition, if the model is driven by a jump process, then the complexity of the drift term is growing exponentially fast (as a function of the tenor length). In this work, we consider a L´evy-driven LIBOR model and aim at develop-ing accurate and eﬃcient log-L´evy approximations for the dynamics of the rates. The approximations are based on truncation of the drift term and Picard approximation of suitable processes. Numerical experiments for FRAs, caps, swaptions and sticky ratchet caps show that the approximations perform very well. In addition, we also consider the log-L´evy approximation of annuities, which oﬀers good approximations for high volatility regimes.
Intricate Interactions between the Bloom-Forming Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and Foreign Genetic Elements, Revealed by Diversified Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) Signatures

ABSTRACT Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) confer sequence-dependent, adaptive resistance in prokaryotes against viruses and plasmids via incorporation of short sequences, called spacers, derived from foreign genetic elements. CRISPR loci are thus considered to provide records of past infections. To describe the host-parasite (i.e., cyanophages and plasmids) interactions involving the bloom-forming freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, we investigated CRISPR in four M. aeruginosa strains and in two previously sequenced genomes. The number of spacers in each locus was larger than the average among prokaryotes. All spacers were strain specific, except for a string of 11 spacers shared in two closely related strains, suggesting diversification of the loci. Using CRISPR repeat-based PCR, 24 CRISPR genotypes were identified in a natural cyanobacterial community. Among 995 unique spacers obtained, only 10 sequences showed similarity to M. aeruginosa phage Ma-LMM01. Of these, six spacers showed only silent or conservative nucleotide mutations compared to Ma-LMM01 sequences, suggesting a strategy by the cyanophage to avert CRISPR immunity dependent on nucleotide identity. These results imply that host-phage interactions can be divided into M. aeruginosa-cyanophage combinations rather than pandemics of population-wide infectious cyanophages. Spacer similarity also showed frequent exposure of M. aeruginosa to small cryptic plasmids that were observed only in a few strains. Thus, the diversification of CRISPR implies that M. aeruginosa has been challenged by diverse communities (almost entirely uncharacterized) of cyanophages and plasmids.