Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LSP partial spatial-protection in MPLS over WDM optical networks

We consider Label Switched Path (LSP) protection for connections with various protection grade requirements in multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) over wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical networks. In full protection, bandwidth needs to be reserved for the backup LSP to protect the failure of any fiber along the primary LSP. In this paper, we study the problem of partial spatial-protection (PSP) where bandwidth is reserved for the backup LSP to protect the failure of a subset of fibers traversed by the primary LSP to satisfy the specified protection grade. We formulate the optimal LSP PSP problem as an ILP and identify three suboptimal problems. For each suboptimal problem, an exhaustive search algorithm and a heuristic are developed. We analyze the probability that a connection can be restored upon a fiber failure and find that it is higher than or equal to the protection grade specified. We also develop a failure recovery protocol which specifies recovery operations upon failure and determines whether a connection can be recovered if the failed fiber is one of its unprotected fibers. Through extensive simulation experiments, we demonstrated that the proposed LSP PSP algorithms perform better than shared LSP protection in blocking probability and resource efficiency.
Acupressure for Respiratory Allergic Diseases: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials

Objective To evaluate the effects and safety of acupressure for the management of respiratory allergic diseases by systematically reviewing randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Methods A total of 13 electronic English and Chinese databases were searched until July 2017. Two authors extracted data and evaluated risk of bias independently. Review Manager V.5. 3 was employed for data analysis. Results The literature search identified 186 papers, of which only four of met the inclusion criteria: two for allergic rhinitis (AR) and two for asthma. High and unclear risk of bias existed across all the included studies. The findings demonstrated that acupressure greater effects on the relief of nasal symptoms of AR compared with 1% ephedrine nasal drop plus thermal therapy. With either Western medicine or Chinese herbal medicine as a cointervention, one study indicated that acupressure plus salbutamol was led to a significantly greater improvement of pulmonary function for patients with asthma compared with salbutamol only. However, the remaining two studies indentified no significant differences in any outcome measures between the two groups. Conclusions No reliable conclusions regarding the effects of acupressure on AR and asthma could be drawn by this review due to the small number of available trials with significant heterogeneity of study design and high/unclear risk of bias. Further, more rigorously designed RCTs are needed. Acupressure seems safe for symptomatic relief of AR and asthma, although larger studies are required to be able to robustly confirm its safety. Trial registration number ACTRN12617001106325; Pre-results.
TIPS FOR TEACHING THE HIGH SCHOOL ECONOMICS COURSE

Because economics is increasing in importance in the high school curriculum, it is critically important that it is taught well by well-trained teachers. We offer suggestions for teaching high school economics in the areas of content, methodology, materials, and professional development. We address what content to include, the use of textbooks and supplementary materials, and innovative approaches for teaching economics. The use of literature, film, music, and activity-based lessons are discussed. Teachers are encouraged to seek out professional development opportunities through the Council for Economic Education and networking opportunities through the Global Association of Teachers of Economics. Although teaching high school economics can be challenging, there are many helpful materials and resources available.
Return Migration and Occupational Change

Return migrants exhibit a high tendency for self-employment over waged employment. Using cross-sectional data from Pakistan, the paper explores the determinants of this choice. Retirement from the domestic labor market is not a reason for opting for self-employment. The preference for non-farm self-employment is a two-period process of self-selection. Migrants who expect to switch occupation to non-farm self-employment upon return save more from high transitory overseas income than do their counterparts. Upon return, savings become a significant factor in the choice of self-employment over waged employment. International migration and return have little influence on the choice of farm self-employment. Copyright 1999 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
A Note on the Influence of African Heritage on Segregation

The African heritage hypothesis posits that the substantial African ancestry of Puerto Ricans explains why this group is less segregated from African-Americans than non-Hispanic whites. This pattern is unlike that of other Hispanic groups, who have been found to be highly segregated from African-Americans but modestly segregated from whites. The research presented here shows that Dominicans, another Hispanic group with substantial African ancestry, are also less segregated from African-Americans than whites. Dominicans, therefore, also appear to be conforming to the African heritage thesis by residing in neighborhoods with greater proximity to African-Americans than whites.
Comparative Methylprednisolone Pharmacokinetics in Renal Transplant Patients Receiving Double- or Triple-Drug Immunosuppression

OBJECTIVE: To assess the pharmacokinetics of chronic methylprednisolone therapy in renal transplant patients receiving double-drug (methylprednisolone and azathioprine) and triple-drug (methylprednisolone, azathioprine, and cyclosporine) immunosuppression. DESIGN: Parallel, randomized trial. PATIENTS: Fourteen renal transplant recipients (aged 29–65 y) evaluated in a public, university-affiliated hospital clinic. INTERVENTIONS: All patients received their chronic oral dose of methylprednisolone via a 10–20-minute intravenous infusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum methylprednisolone concentrations were determined by HPLC and were used to generate pharmacokinetic parameters for this drug. RESULTS: The mean daily methylprednisolone dosage was 19 ± 19 mg in the double-drug group and 9 ± 2 mg in the triple-drug group. Mean serum creatinine concentrations were 124 ± 44 and 124 ± 27 μmol/L, respectively. Mean methylprednisolone clearances were similar in both groups: 405 ± 205 (double-drug) and 373 ± 365 mL/h/kg (triple-drug) (p>0.05). Mean steady-state volume of distribution was 1.5 ± 0.8 L/kg in the double-drug group and 1.3 ± 0.8 L/kg in the triple-drug group (p>0.05). Plasma half-life ranged from 1.7 to 4.3 h (mean 2.7) in the double-drug group versus 1.4 to 3.4 h (mean 2.6) in the triple-drug group (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that cyclosporine had no definitive influence on methylprednisolone disposition. The results reveal a wide variation in methylprednisolone metabolism in renal transplant recipients receiving either a double- or triple-drug immunosuppressive regimen. Typically, methylprednisolone is prescribed according to a standardized dosing protocol that assumes minimal interpatient variation. Therefore, the pharmacokinetic variability noted in this study may have important clinical implications regarding the development of chronic toxicity (e.g., osteoporosis, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal suppression) and the attainment of successful immunosuppression.
Design, Construction, and Characterization of a Novel Robotic Welding Fume Generator and Inhalation Exposure System for Laboratory Animals

Respiratory effects observed in welders have included lung function changes, metal fume fever, bronchitis, and a possible increase in the incidence of lung cancer. Many questions remain unanswered regarding the causality and possible underlying mechanisms associated with the potential toxic effects of welding fume inhalation. The objective of the present study was to construct a completely automated, computer-controlled welding fume generation and inhalation exposure system to simulate real workplace exposures. The system comprised a programmable six-axis robotic welding arm, a water-cooled arc welding torch, and a wire feeder that supplied the wire to the torch at a programmed rate. For the initial studies, gas metal arc welding was performed using a stainless steel electrode. A flexible trunk was attached to the robotic arm of the welder and was used to collect and transport fume from the vicinity of the arc to the animal exposure chamber. Undiluted fume concentrations consistently ranged from 90–150 mg/m3 in the animal chamber during welding. Temperature and humidity remained constant in the chamber during the welding operation. The welding particles were composed of (from highest to lowest concentration) iron, chromium, manganese, and nickel as measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Size distribution analysis indicated the mass median aerodynamic diameter of the generated particles to be approximately 0.24 μm with a geometric standard deviation (σ g ) of 1.39. As determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, the generated aerosols were mostly arranged as chain-like agglomerates of primary particles. Characterization of the laboratory-generated welding aerosol has indicated that particle morphology, size, and chemical composition are comparable to stainless steel welding fume generated in other studies. With the development of this novel system, it will be possible to establish an animal model using controlled welding exposures from automated gas metal arc and flux-cored arc welding processes to investigate how welding fumes affect health.
Explaining the formation of minimal coalitions: Anti‐system parties and anti‐pact rules

Recent theoretical arguments hold that the institutional setting of a political system influences coalition formation. Empirical analyses that confront these hypotheses have,however,been slow to emerge.We provide a first test of the relation between coalition formation and one element within this institutional setting: the existence of commitments not to join forces with certain 'pariah' parties (i.e., anti-pact rules). Specifically, we study the effect of the 'cordon sanitaire' around the Flemish extreme right-wing party Vlaams Blok over the period from 1976 to 2000.The results show that the refusal to coalesce withVlaams Blok significantly affects the probability that 'minimal winning', 'minimal number' and 'minimal size' coalitions are formed.
Determinants of the in Vivo Folding of the Prion Protein

Misfolding of the mammalian prion protein (PrP) is implicated in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. We analyzed wild type PrP in comparison with different PrP mutants and identified determinants of the in vivo folding pathway of PrP. The complete N terminus of PrP including the putative transmembrane domain and the first β-strand could be deleted without interfering with PrP maturation. Helix 1, however, turned out to be a major determinant of PrP folding. Disruption of helix 1 prevented attachment of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor and the formation of complexN-linked glycans; instead, a high mannose PrP glycoform was secreted into the cell culture supernatant. In the absence of a C-terminal membrane anchor, however, helix 1 induced the formation of unglycosylated and partially protease-resistant PrP aggregates. Moreover, we could show that the C-terminal GPI anchor signal sequence, independent of its role in GPI anchor attachment, mediates core glycosylation of nascent PrP. Interestingly, conversion of high mannose glycans to complex type glycans only occurred when PrP was membrane-anchored. Our study indicates a bipartite function of helix 1 in the maturation and aggregation of PrP and emphasizes a critical role of a membrane anchor in the formation of complex glycosylated PrP.
Multilaboratory evaluation of methods for detecting enteric viruses in soils

Two candidate methods for the recovery and detection of viruses in soil were subjected to round robin comparative testing by members of the American Society for Testing and Materials D19:24:04:04 Subcommittee Task Group. Selection of the methods, designated "Berg" and "Goyal," was based on results of an initial screening which indicated that both met basic criteria considered essential by the task group. Both methods utilized beef extract solutions to achieve desorption and recovery of viruses from representative soils: a fine sand soil, an organic muck soil, a sandy loam soil, and a clay loam soil. One of the two methods, Goyal, also used a secondary concentration of resulting soil eluants via low-pH organic flocculation to achieve a smaller final assay volume. Evaluation of the two methods was simultaneously performed in replicate by nine different laboratories. Each of the produced samples was divided into portions, and these were respectively subjected to quantitative viral plaque assay by both the individual, termed independent, laboratory which had done the soil processing and a single common reference laboratory, using a single cell line and passage level. The Berg method seemed to produce slightly higher virus recovery values; however, the differences in virus assay titers for samples produced by the two methods were not statistically significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) for any one of the four soils. Despite this lack of a method effect, there was a statistically significant laboratory effect exhibited by assay titers from the independent versus reference laboratories for two of the soils, sandy loam and clay loam.
Analysis of the tick size and the impact of varying dollar ticks on market quality - evidence from the Sydney Futures Exchange

This paper investigates the relationship between the minimum price variation and market quality variables for 3 interest rate futures contracts on the Sydney Futures Exchange. Intraday trade and quote data are obtained for the period 4 January 2000 and 1 February 2002, which includes the change in transparency on 19 January 2001. Analysis of the frequency distributions of bid and ask quote variations show a high frequency of these variations posted at 1 tick in the sample periods. Analysis of the quoted bid-ask spreads also show a high frequency of spreads posted at 1 tick. These evidence suggest that the tick sizes for these futures contracts are too large. Examination of the relationships between dollar spreads and dollar ticks provide further evidence that dollar spreads are constrained by the tick size. Dollar spreads are found to be positively related to dollar ticks, average quoted depth and trade price volatility, and negatively related to traded volume. This journal article is available in Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal: http://ro.uow. edu.au/aabfj/vol1/iss4/2 The Australasian Accounting Business & Finance Journal, December, 2007. Tan, Frino and Jarnecic: Analysis of Tick Size. Vol. 1, No. 4. Page 16. Analysis of the Tick Size and the Impact of Varying Dollar Ticks on Market Quality – Evidence from the Sydney Futures Exchange
Genetic control of plant organ growth.

CONTENTS Summary 319 I. Introduction 320 II. The cell biology and biophysics of growth 320 III. Timing is everything: what determines when proliferation gives way to expansion? 323 IV. Anisotropic growth and the importance of polarity 325 V. How does organ identity and developmental patterning modulate growth behaviour? 326 VI. Coordination of growth at different scales 327 VII. Conclusions 329 Acknowledgements 329 References 330 SUMMARY The growth of plant organs is under genetic control. Work in model species has identified a considerable number of genes that regulate different aspects of organ growth. This has led to an increasingly detailed knowledge about how the basic cellular processes underlying organ growth are controlled, and which factors determine when proliferation gives way to expansion, with this transition emerging as a critical decision point during primordium growth. Progress has been made in elucidating the genetic basis of allometric growth and the role of tissue polarity in shaping organs. We are also beginning to understand how the mechanisms that determine organ identity influence local growth behaviour to generate organs with characteristic sizes and shapes. Lastly, growth needs to be coordinated at several levels, for example between different cell layers and different regions within one organ, and the genetic basis for such coordination is being elucidated. However, despite these impressive advances, a number of basic questions are still not fully answered, for example, whether and how a growing primordium keeps track of its size. Answering these questions will likely depend on including additional approaches that are gaining in power and popularity, such as combined live imaging and modelling.
Two‐Year Randomized Controlled Trial of Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone) and Vitamin D3 Plus Calcium on the Bone Health of Older Women

Dietary supplementation with vitamin K1, with vitamin D3 and calcium or their combination, was examined in healthy older women during a 2‐year, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial. Combined vitamin K with vitamin D plus calcium was associated with a modest but significant increase in BMC at the ultradistal radius but not at other sites in the hip or radius.
Attitudes towards different sources of executive appraisal: a comparison of Hong Kong Chinese and American managers in Hong Kong

This study examines the attitudes of three groups of managers in Hong Kong, namely, Hong Kong Chinese managers in local Chinese firms (HK/HK), Hong Kong Chinese managers in US firms (HK/US) and American managers in US firms (US/US), towards supervisory, peer, subordinate and multi-source appraisal of executive performance. The more recent perspective of crossvergence, within the convergence-divergence debate, provides the theoretical foundation for formulating the hypotheses. The findings indicate support for this new perspective of crossvergence. There is also evidence of the coexistence of all the three perspectives of convergence, divergence and crossvergence. The study found that the practice of supervisory appraisal is supported more by HK/US and US/US managers than by HK/HK managers. Furthermore, both HK/US and US/US managers are more supportive of subordinate evaluation than peer evaluation. Overall, the findings indicate that the traditional Chinese values may be more congruent with the notion of supervisory appraisal than with peer and subordinate evaluation. The study thus points out the importance of the compatibility of norms and beliefs regarding a management practice such as performance appraisal with the local national cultures in determining the acceptance and hence the transferability of that practice across countries.
Prediction-Based Cloud Bursting Approach and Its Impact on Total Cost for Business-Critical Web Systems

SUMMARY Cloud bursting temporarily expands the capacity of a cloud-based service hosted in a private data center by renting public data center capacity when the demand for capacity spikes. To determine the optimal resources of a business-critical web system deployed over private and public data centers, this paper presents a cloud bursting approach based on long-and short-term predictions of requests to the system. In a private data center, a dedicated pool of virtual machines (VMs) is assigned to the web system on the basis of one-week predictions. Moreover, in both private and public data centers, VMs are activated on the basis of one-hour predictions. We formulate a problem that includes the total cost and response time constraints and conduct numerical simulations. The results indicate that our approach is tolerant of prediction errors and only slightly dependent on the processing power of a single VM. Even if the website receives bursty requests and one-hour predictions include a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 0.2, the total cost decreases to half the existing cost of provisioning in the private date center alone. At the same time, 95% of response time is kept below 0.15s.
The Effect of Atrial Pacing-Induced Tachycardia on Left Ventricular Contractile Function in Conscious Newborn and Adult Sheep

Summary: In order to determine if an increase in heart rate is associated with an increase of left ventricular contractile function during the neonatal period we recorded phasic and mean aortic blood pressure, left atrial mean or left ventricular end diastolic pressure, phasic left ventricular blood pressure, aortic blood flow velocity and the instantaneous first derivatives of left ventricular blood pressure (dP/dt) and aortic blood flow velocity (dV/dt) during pacing-induced tachycardia in conscious newborn and adult sheep. There was a significant positive linear correlation between heart rate and both indices of contractility (dP/dt and dV/dt) in both age groups. Left ventricular end diastolic pressure was unchanged except for a decrease at the most rapid heart rate in the newborns. There was no change in aortic mean blood pressure during the study. Our data demonstrate that an increase of heart rate is associated with an increase of left ventricular contractile function in conscious neonatal and adult sheep. Investigations of the effects of potential inotropic agents on left ventricular contractile performance in newborns and adults must evaluate the independent effect of any simultaneously occurring increase in heart rate.
Modeling the dynamics of equity index option implied volatilities in a real world scenario set

This article proposes a method of analyzing and modeling the real world dynamics of equity put/call option implied volatilities using the risk neutral Heston model with specific parameter restrictions. In our modeling approach, we construct a stable and accurate method for calibrating the Heston model to historic market data. In this way, the risk neutral Heston model is embedded in a real world scenario generator and can be used to generate implied volatility structures, evaluate option investment strategies or to construct hedging strategies. The proposed methodology results in a stable valuation of embedded options, which is in practice preferred by, among others, insurance companies and pension funds.