Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Game-Theoretic Analysis of Inter-Session Network Coding

A common assumption in the network coding literature is that the users are cooperative and will not pursue their own interests. However, this assumption can be violated in practice. In this paper, we analyze inter-session network coding in a wired network, assuming that the users are selfish and act as strategic players to maximize their own utility. We prove the existence of Nash equilibria for a wide range of utility functions. The number of Nash equilibria can be large (even infinite) under certain conditions, which is in sharp contrast to a similar game setting with traditional packet forwarding. We then characterize the worst-case efficiency bounds, i.e., the price-of-anarchy (PoA), compared to an optimal and cooperative network design. We show that by using a novel discriminatory pricing scheme that charges encoded and forwarded packets differently, we can improve PoA in comparison with the case where a single pricing scheme is being used. However, PoA is still worse than the case when network coding is not applied. This implies that intersession network coding is more sensitive to strategic behavior. For example, for the case where only two network coding flows share a single bottleneck link, the efficiency at certain Nash equilibria can be as low as 48%. These results generalize the well-known result of guaranteed 67% efficiency bounds shown by Johari and Tsitsiklis for traditional packet forwarding networks.
BIOACCUMULATION AND LOCOMOTOR EFFECT OF MANGANESE DUST IN RATS

The primary goal of this study is to determine the effects of Mn exposure via inhalation. The bioaccumulation of Mn in different organs and tissues, the alteration of biochemical parameters, and the locomotor activity were assessed. A group of 26 male Sprague-Dawley rats (E) were exposed to 3750 µg/m3 of Mn dust for 6 h/day, 5 days/wk for 13 consecutive weeks and compared to a control group of 12 rats (C) exposed to 4 µg/m3. After exposure, neurological evaluation was carried out for 36 h (a night-day-night cycle) using a computerized autotrack system. Rats were then sacrificed by exsanguination, and Mn content in organs and tissues was determined by neutron activation analysis. Mn concentrations in lung, putamen, and cerebellum were significantly higher in E than in C (0.30 vs. 0.17, 0.89 vs. 0.44, 0.63 vs. 0.48 ppm; p < .01), as well as in the kidney, frontal cortex, and globus pallidus (1.15 vs. 0.96, 0.84 vs. 0.47, 1.28 vs. 0.55 ppm; p < .05). Potassium concentration was significantly lower in E than in C (5.11 vs. 5.79 mmol/L; p < .05), as was alkaline phosphatase (106.9 vs. 129.6 U/L; p < .01). Locomotor activity indicated higher distance covered in the first 12-h period for E (45 383 vs. 36 098 cm; p < .05) and lower resting time in the last 12-h period for E (36 326 vs. 37 393 s; p < .05). This study is the first of several ongoing studies in our laboratory that address health concerns associated with inhalation exposure to different Mn species and to different levels of exposure.
Bioinspired Stimuli‐Responsive and Antifreeze‐Secreting Anti‐Icing Coatings

The detrimental impacts of icing on transportation and power industries are well‐known. Inspired by natural systems that secrete a functional liquid in response to stimuli, this work introduces an anti‐icing coating that responds to surface icing by releasing antifreeze liquid. It consists of an outer porous superhydrophobic epidermis and a wick‐like underlying dermis that is infused with antifreeze liquid. The functionality of the new coating is validated through condensation frosting, simulated freezing fog, and freezing rain experiments. In the tested conditions, the introduced anti‐icing skin delays onset of frost, rime, and glaze accumulation at least ten times longer than anti‐icing superhydrophobic and lubricant impregnated surfaces. Furthermore, the coating delays onset of glaze formation ten times longer than surfaces flooded with a thin film of antifreeze. In each of the icing scenarios, the fundamental mechanisms responsible for antifreeze release and their relation to required antifreeze replenishment rates are described.
A fast‐convergent fairness scheme for resource allocation in RPR networks

In this paper, we propose a fast‐convergent fairness scheme in IEEE 802.17 resilient packet ring (RPR) networks. In the proposed scheme, each station could rapidly approach fair rate by estimating the number of unbounded flows at each link. In addition, the fast‐convergent scheme could prevent rate oscillations in the RPR aggressive mode scheme under unbalanced traffic. The estimation mechanism is simple and scalable since it is stateless without per‐flow management. Through analytical and simulation evaluations our scheme was found to be stable and speedy when compared with 802.17 RPR fairness scheme or the proposed distributed virtual‐time scheduling in rings scheme. Our scheme could allocate bandwidth fairly and smoothly among flows and achieve high utilization at the same time in the RPR network. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal ablation of PMMA for water release using a microheater

A new approach was developed in this work to ablate a micropore through a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) layer using a microheater for the on-demand release of water stored in a microreservoir. The size of the ablated micropore in the PMMA capping layer is mainly governed by the heater temperature profile and ablation time. Furthermore, the molten PMMA resulting from the heating energy tends to retract away from the micropore location, taking away the gold heater lines from the pore area. This prevents the possibility of any gold traces blocking the flow of water released from within the microreservoir. Simulation was conducted to find temperature profiles on the surface of the microheater, and the results were used to interpret the phenomena observed in the ablation process. Simulation was also conducted for the case when the microreservoir was filled with water. In addition, two alternative ablation materials, unexposed SU-8 and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), were examined as possible microreservoir capping layers. The approach developed has potential applications in microfluidic systems to release encapsulated fluids in a controllable manner.
Multiplier-less Farrow Structure based Linear Phase Low Pass Interpolation Filter

This paper proposes a totally multiplier-less farrow structure based linear phase low-pass interpolation filter. When implemented using farrow structure, it has inherently low number of multipliers and adders compared to that using finite impulse response (FIR) filter structure. To further reduce the implementation complexity, the structure is made totally multiplier-less. Canonic signed digit (CSD) representation of the filter coefficients is made use of in this paper. A meta-heuristic optimization algorithm is deployed to obtain optimal CSD representation. Reduction in the implementation complexity leads to lower power consumption, chip area and cost.
Risk factors for long‐term mortality in a large cohort of patients wait‐listed for liver transplantation in Brazil

Liver donor shortage and long waiting times are observed in many liver transplant programs worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the wait list in a developing country, before and after the introduction of the MELD scoring system. In addition, the MELD score ability to predict mortality in this setting was assessed. A single‐center retrospective study of patients wait‐listed for liver transplantation between 1997 and 2010 was undertaken. There were 1339 and 762 patients on the list in pre‐MELD and MELD era, respectively. A competitive risk analysis was performed to assess age, gender, disease diagnosis, serum sodium, MELD, Child‐Pugh, ABO type, and body mass index. Also, MELD score predictive ability at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after list enrollment was evaluated. The overall mortality rates on waiting list were 31.0% and 28.1% (P = 0.16), and the median waiting times were 412 and 952 days (P < 0.001), in pre and MELD eras, respectively. The competitive risk analysis yielded the following significant P values for both eras: HCC (0.03 and <0.001), MELD (<0.001 and 0.002), sodium level (0.002 and <0.001), and Child‐Pugh (0.02 and <0.001). The MELD mortality predictions at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months were similar. In conclusion, in a liver transplant program with long waiting times, the MELD system introduction did not improve mortality rate. In either pre and MELD eras, HCC diagnosis, serum sodium, Child‐Pugh, and MELD were significant predictors of prognosis. Short‐ and long‐term MELD based mortality predictions were similarly accurate. Strategies for increasing the liver donor pool should be implemented to improve mortality. Liver Transpl 17:1013–1020, 2011. © 2011 AASLD.
Physical activity and sexuality in perimenopausal women

Objectives To determine if there is a link between physical activity and sexual functioning in perimenopausal women, by comparing groups of women with low, moderate and high physical activity levels with regard to selected domains of their sexual functioning. Methods The research involved 400 healthy Polish women, aged 45–55 years. The final analysis encompassed 336 women who fulfilled all the inclusion criteria. The research tool was a two-part questionnaire. The first part covered the socio-economic status, patient history, and gynaecological-obstetric history. Part two consisted of an extended version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form, evaluating the level of physical activity over the last seven days, and the Female Sexual Function Index. Results The mean age of the respondents was 50.56 ± 2.33 years. The analysis showed statistically significant differences between all the domains of physical activity and the FSFI of the studied women. In the group of women without sexual disorders, respondents with a low physical activity level in all questionnaire domains were the least numerous. Conclusions In perimenopausal women an association is seen between high levels of general physical activity and better sexual functioning.
Displacement washing of TEMPO-oxidized softwood kraft pulp: Effects of change in fiber properties

Bleached softwood kraft pulp fibers were treated using TEMPO oxidation at two different dosages of NaClO. A batch of non-oxidized reference pulp was also prepared with a concentration of the tracer (Na) similar to the oxidized batches. A total of 15 washing experiments were conducted and the dispersion model was used to characterize washing behavior. TEMPO oxidation resulted in a major increase in the amount of carboxylate groups in the pulps and a considerable decrease in fiber/particle size in relation to the reference pulp fibers. Oxidized fibers also had less fiber curl than reference fibers. Water retention values were greater in the oxidized pulps and the oxidized fibers exhibited major swelling during the washing operation, while reference fibers had only minor swelling. The amount of sodium in the filter cakes after washing corresponded to the amount of carboxylate groups in the pulps. Swelling of oxidized pulp fibers needs to be considered in order to describe filtration and washing. The average specific filtration resistance for all pulps in this study was in the order of 10(10)-10(11) m/kg, i.e. moderately easy to filter. The most oxidized pulp had the highest average specific filtration resistance and the lowest value for the estimated effective longitudinal dispersion coefficient, in agreement with theory.
Clinical analysis of intraoperative radiotherapy during breast-conserving surgery of early breast cancer in the Chinese Han population

Purpose While results of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) during breast-conserving surgery (BCS) have been reported when used either as a boost at the time of surgery or as the sole radiation treatment, the clinical safety and cosmetic outcome of IORT in the Chinese Han population has not. This report reviews oncologic and cosmetic outcomes for Chinese Han breast cancer patients who received IORT either as a boost or as their sole radiation treatment at our hospital. Method From July 2008 to December 2012, 50 early-stage Chinese Han breast cancer patients received BCS and IORT, either as boost or as their sole radiation treatment. Patients received adjuvant chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, according to our institution's guidelines. Patients were followed to determine oncologic events, short-term toxicity and overall cosmesis. Results With a median follow-up of 51.8 months (range 22.6 months to 75.7 months), 2 patients (4.0%) developed local relapses and were salvaged by mastectomy. There were no metastases and no deaths. The average wound healing time was 17 days. Three patients (6.0%) developed postoperative infection, 5 patients (10.0%) had delayed wound healing, and 2 patients (4.0%) experienced wound edema. There were no lyponecrosis or hematomas observed. The evaluation of cosmetic outcome showed 44 patients (88.0%) graded as excellent or good while 6 patients (12.0%) were graded as fair or poor. No patients experienced radiotherapy related acute hematological toxicity, but 3 patients (6.0%), all IORT boost patients, developed skin pigmentation. Conclusion For early-stage breast cancer patients, intraoperative radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery in the Chinese Han population is both safe and reliable and has resulted in very acceptable cosmetic outcomes.
Efficient Flow based Network Traffic Classification using Machine Learning

Traffic classification based on their generation applications has a very important role to play in network security and management. The port-based prediction methods and payload-based deep inspection methods comes under Traditional methods. The standard strategies in current network environment suffer from variety of privacy issues, dynamic ports and encrypted applications. Recent research efforts are focused on traffic classification and Machine Learning Techniques and of which machine learning is used for classification. This paper conducts a flow based traffic classification and comparison on the various Machine Learning (ML) techniques such as C4.5, Naïve Bayes, Nearest Neighbor, RBF for IP traffic classification. From this C4.5 Decision Tree gives 93.33% accuracy compare with other algorithms. The two methods are used Full Feature selection and Reduced feature set for classification. From this classification the Reduced feature selection gives good result.
Formulation and Evaluation of Chitosan-Chondroitin Sulphate Based Nasal Inserts for Zolmitriptan

Bioadhesive nasal dosage forms are an attractive method for overcoming rapid mucociliary clearance transport in the nose and for delivering the drug directly to brain. The present study was designed to formulate chondroitin sulphate (CS) and chitosan (CH) nasal inserts employing zolmitriptan, an antimigraine drug. The interpolymer complexes (IPC) formed between –COO− and –OSO3 − groups of CS and –NH3 + group of CH were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), differential scanning analysis (DSC), and zeta potential studies. The unloaded and loaded nasal inserts were evaluated for water uptake studies, and bioadhesive strength studies, scanning electron microscopic studies (SEM). The in vitro drug release and in situ permeation studies were carried out on loaded nasal inserts. The DSC and IR studies confirmed the formation of a complex between the two polymers. The results indicated that the formulation F1 (CH : CS; 30 : 70) was demonstrating the highest bioadhesive strength and zeta potential. The presence of porous structure in the nasal inserts was confirmed by the SEM analysis. Further, in vitro and in situ release studies demonstrated that formulations F9 and F11 (drug : polymer; 1 : 10) were releasing 90% and 98% zolmitriptan over a period of 8 h. It can be concluded that nasal inserts formulated from chitosan-chondroitin sulphate (CH-CS) interpolymer complex (IPC) can be used for delivery of antimigraine drug to brain.
Automatic Segmentation of Specular Reflections for Endoscopic Images Based on Sparse and Low-Rank Decomposition

Endoscopy is a minimally invasive medical diagnostic procedure that is used to provide a realistic view of the surfaces of organs inside human body. Images taken during such procedures largely show tissues of human organs. Due to the presence of mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract or other characteristics of the human body, these surfaces usually have a glossy appearance showing specular reflections. For many image analysis algorithms, these distinct and bright visual mark can be a significant source of error. On other hand, these features can also be useful for image restoration and for the construction of 3D model of the organs. In this article, we propose a segmentation method of the specular regions based on sparse and low-rank decomposition using a robust PCA via accelerated proximal gradient algorithm. In contrast to the existing approaches, the proposed segmentation works without using colour image thresholds. Moreover, the proposed method presents more precise segmentation results represented by grayscale masks instead of binary masks.
Algorithms for Single-Source Vertex Connectivity

In the survivable network design problem (SNDP) the goal is to find a minimum cost subset of edges that satisfies a given set of pairwise connectivity requirements among the vertices. This general network design framework has been studied extensively and is tied to the development of major algorithmic techniques. For the edge-connectivity version of the problem, a 2-approximation algorithm is known for arbitrary pairwise connectivity requirements. However, no non-trivial algorithms are known for its vertex connectivity counterpart. In fact, even highly restricted special cases of the vertex connectivity version remain poorly understood.We study the single-source k-vertex connectivity version of SNDP. We are given a graph G(V,E) with a subset T of terminals and a source vertex s, and the goal is to find a minimum cost subset of edges ensuring that every terminal is k-vertex connected to s. Our main result is an O(k log n)-approximation algorithm for this problem; this improves upon the recent 2O(k 2 )log4 n-approximation. Our algorithm is based on an intuitive rerouting scheme. The analysis relies on a structural result that may be of independent interest: we show that any solution can be decomposed into a disjoint collection of multiple-legged spiders, which are then used to re-route flow from terminals to the source via other terminals.We also obtain the first non-trivial approximation algorithm for the vertex-cost version of the same problem, achieving an O(k7log2 n)-approximation.
Computing single source shortest paths using single-objective fitness

Runtime analysis of evolutionary algorithms has become an important part in the theoretical analysis of randomized search heuristics. The first combinatorial problem where rigorous runtime results have been achieved is the well-known single source shortest path (SSSP) problem. Scharnow, Tinnefeld and Wegener [PPSN 2002, J. Math. Model. Alg. 2004] proposed a multi-objective approach which solves the problem in expected polynomial time. They also suggest a related single-objective fitness function. However, it was left open whether this does solve the problem efficiently, and, in a broader context, whether multi-objective fitness functions for problems like the SSSP yield more efficient evolutionary algorithms. In this paper, we show that the single objective approach yields an efficient (1+1) EA with runtime bounds very close to those of the multi-objective approach.
(d)-β-Hydroxybutyrate Inhibits Adipocyte Lipolysis via the Nicotinic Acid Receptor PUMA-G*

As a treatment for dyslipidemia, oral doses of 1–3 grams of nicotinic acid per day lower serum triglycerides, raise high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and reduce mortality from coronary heart disease (Tavintharan, S., and Kashyap, M. L. (2001) Curr. Atheroscler. Rep. 3, 74–82). These benefits likely result from the ability of nicotinic acid to inhibit lipolysis in adipocytes and thereby reduce serum non-esterified fatty acid levels (Carlson, L. A. (1963) Acta Med. Scand. 173, 719–722). In mice, nicotinic acid inhibits lipolysis via PUMA-G, a Gi/o-coupled seven-transmembrane receptor expressed in adipocytes and activated macrophages (Tunaru, S., Kero, J., Schaub, A., Wufka, C., Blaukat, A., Pfeffer, K., and Offermanns, S. (2003) Nat. Med. 9, 352–355). The human ortholog HM74a is also a nicotinic acid receptor and likely has a similar role in anti-lipolysis. Endogenous levels of nicotinic acid are too low to significantly impact receptor activity, hence the natural ligands(s) of HM74a/PUMA-G remain to be elucidated. Here we show that the fatty acid-derived ketone body (d)-β-hydroxybutyrate ((d)-β-OHB) specifically activates PUMA-G/HM74a at concentrations observed in serum during fasting. Like nicotinic acid, (d)-β-OHB inhibits mouse adipocyte lipolysis in a PUMA-G-dependent manner and is thus the first endogenous ligand described for this orphan receptor. These findings suggests a homeostatic mechanism for surviving starvation in which (d)-β-OHB negatively regulates its own production, thereby preventing ketoacidosis and promoting efficient use of fat stores.
Toward a surrogate model for hepatitis C virus: An infectious molecular clone of the GB virus-B hepatitis agent.

GB virus-B (GBV-B) is a member of the Flaviviridae family of viruses. This RNA virus infects tamarins, but its natural host is not known. GBV-B has special interest because it is the virus that is most closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV), an important human pathogen. In the present study, we identified a previously unrecognized sequence at the 3' end of the GBV-B genome. This new 3' terminal sequence can form several predicted stem-loop structures as is typical for other members of the Flaviviridae family. We constructed molecular clones and showed that the new 3' UTR sequence was critical for in vivo infectivity. After intrahepatic transfection of two tamarins with RNA transcripts of the full-length GBV-B clone, we detected high viral titers from Week 1 postinoculation with peak titers of approximately 10(8) genome equivalents/ml. The viremic pattern of GBV-B infection in the transfected animals was the same as in animals inoculated intravenously with the virus pool used as the cloning source. The sequence of the recombinant virus was recovered from one of the tamarins and shown to be identical to that of the infectious clone. The development of severe hepatitis in both tamarins infected with the recombinant GBV-B virus provides formal proof that GBV-B is a true hepatitis virus.