Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drawing the Cloud Map: Virtual Network Provisioning in Distributed Cloud Computing Data Centers

Efficient virtualization methodologies constitute the core of cloud computing data center implementation. Clients are attracted to the cloud model by its ability to scale the resources dynamically and the flexibility in payment options that it offers. However, performance hiccups may push them to go back to the buy-and-maintain model. Virtualization plays a key role in the synchronous management of the thousands of servers along with clients' data living on them. To achieve seamless virtualization, cloud providers require a system that performs the function of virtual network provisioning. This includes receiving the cloud client requests and allocating their computational and network resources in a way that guarantees the quality-of-service conditions for clients while maximizing the data center resource utilization and providers' revenue. We introduce a comprehensive system to solve the problem of virtual network mapping for a set of connection requests sent by cloud clients. Connections are collected in time intervals called windows. Consequently, node and link provisioning is performed. Different window size selection schemes are introduced and evaluated. Three schemes to prioritize connections are used, and their effect is assessed. Moreover, a technique dealing with connections spanning over more than a window is introduced. The proposed algorithm is compared with previous work well known in the literature. Simulation results show that the dynamic window size algorithm achieves cloud service providers' objectives in terms of generated revenue, served-connection ratio, resource utilization, and computational overhead. In addition, experimental results show that handling spanning connections independently improves the performance of the system.
SMG-1 Is a Phosphatidylinositol Kinase-Related Protein Kinase Required for Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay in Caenorhabditis elegans

ABSTRACT Eukaryotic messenger RNAs containing premature stop codons are selectively and rapidly degraded, a phenomenon termed nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Previous studies with both Caenohabditis elegans and mammalian cells indicate that SMG-2/human UPF1, a central regulator of NMD, is phosphorylated in an SMG-1-dependent manner. We report here that smg-1, which is required for NMD in C. elegans, encodes a protein kinase of the phosphatidylinositol kinase superfamily of protein kinases. We identify null alleles of smg-1 and demonstrate that SMG-1 kinase activity is required in vivo for NMD and in vitro for SMG-2 phosphorylation. SMG-1 and SMG-2 coimmunoprecipitate from crude extracts, and this interaction is maintained in smg-3 and smg-4 mutants, both of which are required for SMG-2 phosphorylation in vivo and in vitro. SMG-2 is located diffusely through the cytoplasm, and its location is unaltered in mutants that disrupt the cycle of SMG-2 phosphorylation. We discuss the role of SMG-2 phosphorylation in NMD.
Interest rate risk in the French banking system

Although most bank failures and banking problems historically have been attributable to poorly managed exposures to credit risk, inadequate management of interest rate risk can give rise to the same types of problems, as illustrated by the U.S. 'savings and loan crisis' of the early 1990s. Interest rate risk is one of the principal risks inherent in the maturity transformation activity of banks. Excessive or poorly managed exposure to interest rate risk can menace both the financial balance of specific credit institutions and the overall stability of the financial system. The current environment of low interest rates, ongoing developments in regulatory and accounting standards, and the structural burden of the fixed-rate investment strategy of French banks – and of continental European banks in general – all combine to make exposure to and management of interest-rate risk a leading concern of the different actors involved in ensuring financial stability. In this environment, prudential authorities, along with other authorities responsible for overall financial stability, need to have accurate indicators of levels and trends in exposure to interest rate risk in the financial system. However, the diversity of this risk makes it very difficult to select such indicators. The choice depends heavily on the nature of the interest rate risk – in particular, on the volume of assets and liabilities containing embedded options –, on the financial structure of the specific institution, and on its overall strategy. This explains the diversity of practices observed today in the monitoring and management of interest rate risk. The same factors also make it extremely difficult to establish a harmonised system of quantitative reporting. As with other types of risk, the first line of defense against the vulnerabilities associated with interest rate risk is the soundness and robustness of internal management and control systems. The new capital framework envisages a tailored supervisory review.
CETP (Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein) Concentration: A Genome-Wide Association Study Followed by Mendelian Randomization on Coronary Artery Disease

Background: We aimed to identify independent genetic determinants of circulating CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein) to assess causal effects of variation in CETP concentration on circulating lipid concentrations and cardiovascular disease risk. Methods: A genome-wide association discovery and replication study on serum CETP concentration were embedded in the NEO study (Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity). Based on the independent identified variants, Mendelian randomization was conducted on serum lipids (NEO study) and coronary artery disease (CAD; CARDIoGRAMplusC4D consortium). RESULTS: In the discovery analysis (n=4248), we identified 3 independent variants (P<5×10−8) that determine CETP concentration. These single-nucleotide polymorphisms were mapped to CETP and replicated in a separate subpopulation (n=1458). Per-allele increase (SE) in serum CETP was 0.32 (0.02) µg/mL for rs247616-C, 0.35 (0.02) µg/mL for rs12720922-A, and 0.12 (0.02) µg/mL for rs1968905-G. Combined, these 3 variants explained 16.4% of the total variation in CETP concentration. One microgram per milliliter increase in genetically determined CETP concentration strongly decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−0.23 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, −0.26 to −0.20), moderately increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.08 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, 0.00–0.16), and was associated with an odds ratio of 1.08 (95% confidence interval, 0.94–1.23) for CAD risk. Conclusions: This is the first genome-wide association study identifying independent variants that largely determine CETP concentration. Although high-density lipoprotein cholesterol is not a causal risk factor for CAD, it has been unequivocally demonstrated that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering is proportionally associated with a lower CAD risk. Therefore, the results of our study are fully consistent with the notion that CETP concentration is causally associated with CAD through low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Depressive-like immobility behavior and genotype × stress interactions in male mice of selected strains

Abstract In this study, we investigated whether basal immobility time of C57BL/6J mice, which are commonly used in transgenesis, interferes with detection of depressive-like behavior in the tail suspension test (TST) after chronic restraint stress (CRS). We included in the study mice of the C57BL/6N strain, not previously compared with C57BL/6J for behavior in the TST, and contrasted both strains with NMRI mice which exhibit low basal immobility. NMRI, C57BL/6J, and C57BL/6N male mice (n = 20 per strain) were tested under basal conditions and after CRS (2 h daily for 14 d). NMRI and C57BL/6J mice were differentiated in the TST by low and high basal immobility times, respectively, while the C57BL/6N and NMRI mice showed similar levels of basal immobility. CRSextended the immobility time of NMRI mice in the TST, whereas both C57BL/6J and C57BL/6N mice were unaffected regardless of their initial phenotype. We explored whether detailed analysis of activity microstructure revealed effects of CRS in the TST, which are not apparent in the overall comparison of total immobility time. Interestingly, unlike C57BL/6J and/6N strains which showed no sensitivity to CRS, stressed NRMI mice displayed distinct activity microstructure. In contrast to behavioral differences, all stressed mice showed significant retardation in body weight gain, decreased thymus weight and increased adrenal cortex size. However, after CRS, enlargement of the adrenal medulla was observed in both C57BL/6J and C57BL/6N mice, suggesting similar sympatho-medullary activation and stress coping mechanism in these substrains.
Smartphone and video games overuse effects on hand joints: time for screening interventions?

We read with great interest the letter by Kluger and we completely agree that apart from smartphone addiction also other technologies overuse such as video games joysticks and controllers may have an effect on hand joints. Particularly, we have previously demonstrated that in psoriasis patients smartphone over-use is linked with higher signs of inflammation of muscoloskelatal structures of hands joints potentially being a factor which facilitate or speed up the possible development of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This concept could be easily extended to other technologies which strain hand joints such as video games and tablets. Indeed, their overuse has already been linked to different harmful effects. Nowadays, a clear trend of rising of PsA incidence has been showed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Sample size formulae for trials comparing group and individual treatments in a multilevel model

In disease screening and prevention trials, subjects in the experimental condition are frequently nested within therapy groups, whereas subjects in the control group receive individual or no therapy and are therefore not nested within groups. Outcomes of subjects within the same therapy group are expected to be more alike than outcomes of subjects within different therapy groups. Ignoring this dependency in the design stage may result in less powerful designs. This paper presents a multilevel model for analyzing such trials and sample size formulae for continuous and binary outcomes with unequal variances and costs across groups. The proposed optimal design ensures that there is adequate power to detect a treatment effect with either minimal cost or a minimal number of subjects. We apply our strategy and design an improved trial where all subjects with musculoskeletal pain received conventional therapy and subjects in the intervention arm participated in a group‐learning program. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression of CCL20 and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor, but Not Flt3-L, from Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Enhances Antiviral Cellular and Humoral Immune Responses

ABSTRACT While modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is currently in clinical development as a safe vaccine against smallpox and heterologous infectious diseases, its immunogenicity is likely limited due to the inability of the virus to replicate productively in mammalian hosts. In light of recent data demonstrating that vaccinia viruses, including MVA, preferentially infect antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that play crucial roles in generating antiviral immunity, we hypothesized that expression of specific cytokines and chemokines that mediate APC recruitment and activation from recombinant MVA (rMVA) vectors would enhance the immunogenicity of these vectors. To test this hypothesis, we generated rMVAs that express murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mGM-CSF), human CCL20/human macrophage inflammatory protein 3α (hCCL20/hMIP-3α), or human fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (hFlt3-L), factors predicted to increase levels of dendritic cells (DCs), to recruit DCs to sites of immunization, or to promote maturation of DCs in vivo, respectively. These rMVAs also coexpress the well-characterized, immunodominant lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus nucleoprotein (NP) antigen that enabled sensitive and quantitative assessment of antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses following immunization of BALB/c mice. Our results demonstrate that immunization of mice with rMVAs expressing mGM-CSF or hCCL20, but not hFlt3-L, results in two- to fourfold increases of cellular immune responses directed against vector-encoded antigens and 6- to 17-fold enhancements of MVA-specific antibody titers, compared to those responses elicited by nonadjuvanted rMVA. Of note, cytokine augmentation of cellular immune responses occurs when rMVAs are given as primary immunizations but not when they are used as booster immunizations, suggesting that these APC-modulating proteins, when used as poxvirus-encoded adjuvants, are more effective at stimulating naïve T-cell responses than in promoting recall of preexisting memory T-cell responses. Our results demonstrate that a strategy to express specific genetic adjuvants from rMVA vectors can be successfully applied to enhance the immunogenicity of MVA-based vaccines.
The role of gibberellin signalling in plant responses to abiotic stress

Plant hormones are small molecules that regulate plant growth and development, as well as responses to changing environmental conditions. By modifying the production, distribution or signal transduction of these hormones, plants are able to regulate and coordinate both growth and/or stress tolerance to promote survival or escape from environmental stress. A central role for the gibberellin (GA) class of growth hormones in the response to abiotic stress is becoming increasingly evident. Reduction of GA levels and signalling has been shown to contribute to plant growth restriction on exposure to several stresses, including cold, salt and osmotic stress. Conversely, increased GA biosynthesis and signalling promote growth in plant escape responses to shading and submergence. In several cases, GA signalling has also been linked to stress tolerance. The transcriptional regulation of GA metabolism appears to be a major point of regulation of the GA pathway, while emerging evidence for interaction of the GA-signalling molecule DELLA with components of the signalling pathway for the stress hormone jasmonic acid suggests additional mechanisms by which GA signalling may integrate multiple hormone signalling pathways in the response to stress. Here, we review the evidence for the role of GA in these processes, and the regulation of the GA signalling pathway on exposure to abiotic stress. The potential mechanisms by which GA signalling modulates stress tolerance are also discussed.
Making sense of ‘global’ social justice

Global inequality and social justice are central concerns in a social world marked by increasing interconnectedness. Traditional understandings of social justice concern the equitable distribution of goods and burdens within a community of entitlement and are deeply embedded within state bound explanatory frameworks. Hence the raising of justice claims in global or non-state territorial space is seen to be intrinsically problematic. However, it is argued that globalisation has led to the emergence and entrenchment of forms and structures of power and influence that operate beyond and across national boundaries and that are capable of perpetrating inequity and injustice. In response theorists have begun to argue for the need to recognise the demands of social justice in non-state territorial contexts. This paper examines the global seafarer labour market as an example of a multicultural workforce operating in a global context and the raising of justice-claims in a complex global space. Specifically, the paper undertakes to clear the ground for the development of an understanding of social justice in this global space by addressing a series of arguments posed by employers that attempt to re-inscribe justice claims within a national framework
Characteristics of reduced fat Cheddar cheese made from ultrafiltered milk with an exopolysaccharide-producing culture

In a previous study, ultrafiltration (UF) at 1·2×reduced residual chymosin activity and bitterness in exopolysaccharide (EPS)-positive reduced fat Cheddar cheese. The objective of this research was to study the effect of this level of concentration on the textural and functional characteristics of the reduced fat cheese. Ultrafiltration (1·2×) did not affect the hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, chewiness, and gumminess of EPS-positive cheese. The 6-month old UF cheeses were springier than non-UF cheeses. However, the springiness of the EPS-positive cheese made from UF milk was much lower than that of the EPS-negative cheeses. Texture of the EPS-negative cheese was more affected by UF than that of the EPS-positive cheese. Differences were seen in the extent of flow between UF and non-UF cheeses at 1 and 3-months but not after 6 months ripening. Ultrafiltration increased the elastic modulus in the 6-month old EPS-positive cheeses. Higher body and texture scores were given to EPS-positive cheeses than the EPS-negative ones. Sensory panelists found the body of the UF and non-UF cheeses to be similar.
XV Seminário Regional de Política Fiscal

El análisis de los controles al endeudamiento subnacional constituye una importante línea de investigación en los estudios sobre federalismo fiscal, y en particular, de aquellos concentrados en la relación entre la descentralización fiscal y la gestión macroeconómica. Existe abundante evidencia empírica que indica que el marco institucional de las relaciones fiscales intergubemamentales resulta clave para que un proceso de descentralización resulte exitoso, en el sentido de fomentar la solvencia fiscal de los gobiernos subnacionales y brindar los incentivos que conduzcan a una gestión pública más eficiente en términos de la cantidad y calidad de los servicios públicos provistos. En este sentido, la existencia de un régimen de transferencias intergubemamentales con cierta cuota de discreciorudidad, la posibilidad de utilizar los bancos públicos para obtener financiamiento adicional o contraer deuda flotante con empleados públicos y proveedores, la ausencia de mecanismos de control al endeudamiento subnacional o el uso indiscriminado de garantías para la contratación de préstamos con instituciones financieras, son factores que debilitan la restricción presupuestaria que enfrentan los gobernantes. El presente trabajo enfatiza los aspectos institucionales del control del endeudamiento subnacional para el caso Argentino. Se analizan los diferentes mecanismos de control del endeudamiento de las provincias argentinas instrumentados por el gobierno federal. En particular, se analiza la distorsión que introduce la utilización de los recursos del régimen de coparticipación federal de impuestos como colateral y de que manera esta distorsión impide que el mercado financiero funcione como disciplinador.
Book Review: Álvaro Cuervo, Domingo Ribeiro and Salvador Roig (eds) Entrepreneurship: Concepts,Theory and Perspectives. Berlin: Springer Verlag and Heidelberg, 2007. 348 pp. ISBN 978—354048—542—2, £69 (hbk)

251 Dees, J. G. , Emerson, J. and Economy, P. (2001) Enterprising Non-Profits: A Toolkit for Social Entrepreneurs. New York: Wiley. Dees, J. G. , Emerson, J. and Economy, P. (2002) Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs: Enhancing the Performance of Your Enterprising Non-Profit. New York: Wiley. DiMaggio, P., and Powell, W. (eds) (1991) The New Institutionalism in Organisational Analysis. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. John, R. (2006) Venture Philanthropy in Europe.Oxford: Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Oxford University. Mair, J., Robinson, J. and Hockrts, K. (2006) Social Entrepreneurship. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Mosher-Williams, R. (ed.) (2006) ‘Research on Social Entrepreneurship: Understanding and Contributing to an Emerging Field’, Occasional Papers Series No. 1.3, ARNOVA. Nicholls, A. (2006a) ‘Playing the Field: A New Approach to the Meaning of Social Entrepreneurship’, Social Enterprise Journal 2(1): 1–4. Nicholls, A. (ed.) (2006b) Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nicholls, A. and Cho, A. (2006) ‘Social Entrepreneurship: The Structuration of A Field’, in A. Nicholls (ed.) Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change, pp. 99–118. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nyssens, M. (ed.) (2006) Social Enterprise. London: Routledge.
Corporate governance scandal at Satyam Computer Services Ltd

Case description The case highlights a $1.4 billion fraud committed by the founder of a NYSE listed, Information Technology Services firm in India. In response to the crisis, the Indian government appointed an interim board to find a strategic investor in the company. The case traces the events leading to the fall of the company. Students are asked to analyze the governance and intermediation failures, assess the financial position of the company and to estimate the intrinsic value of the company from an acquirer's perspective.
The mechanism of amyloid‐fibril formation by stefin B: Temperature and protein concentration dependence of the rates

Cystatins, a family of structurally related cysteine proteinase inhibitors, have proved to be useful model system to study amyloidogenesis. We have extended previous studies of the kinetics of amyloid‐fibril formation by human stefin B (cystatin B) and some of its mutants, and proposed an improved model for the reaction. Overall, the observed kinetics follow the nucleation and growth behavior observed for many other amyloidogenic proteins. The minimal kinetic scheme that best fits measurements of changes in CD and thioflavin T fluorescence as a function of protein concentration and temperature includes nucleation (modeled as NI irreversible transitions with equivalent rates (kI), which fitted with NI = 64), fibril growth and nonproductive oligomerization, best explained by an off‐pathway state with a rate‐limiting escape rate. Three energies of activation were derived from global fitting to the minimal kinetic scheme, and independently through the fitting of the individual component rates. Nucleation was found to be a first‐order process within an oligomeric species with an enthalpy of activation of 55 ± 4 kcal mol−1. Fibril growth was a second‐order process with an enthalpy of activation (27 ± 5 kcal mol−1), which is indistinguishable from that of tetramer formation by cystatins, which involves limited conformational changes including proline trans to cis isomerization. The highest enthalpy of activation (95 ± 5 kcal mol−1 at 35°C), characteristic of a substantial degree of unfolding as observed prior to domain‐swapping reactions, equated with the escape rate of the off‐pathway oligomeric state. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.