Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A practical multi-plane routing-based traffic engineering scheme in evolutionary convergent all-IP access networks

With the expected surge in the global IP traffic, service providers would need to adapt accordingly to operate disruption and loss free networks supported with the developing IP infrastructure. With the disposal of the hierarchical network structure, radio access networks are moving towards a flat-IP architecture and novel topological set-ups in the backhaul. Hence, a routing paradigm that employs suitable Traffic Engineering (TE) techniques aligned with the developing nature of future access networks must be applied. In this paper, Multi-Plane Routing (MPR) that consolidates various aspects in all-IP infrastructure is remodelled in consistent with this development. We propose a MPR-based TE approach considering two different scenarios to reflect the evolution in the architectural design of access network structures under a realistic traffic scenario with a varying range of internal/external traffic. Accordingly, a practical performance evaluation testing the validity of the aforementioned scenarios is presented. Our simulation results demonstrate a better achieved performance under the flat-IP structure in addition to MPR-based methods' superiority over legacy OSPF/Invcap. Performance degradation is observed with the rise in the internal traffic distribution for the different scenarios studied. Moreover, a new optimization framework for the offline and online TE mechanisms of MPR have been proposed.
Impact of Biventricular Pacing on Mortality in a Randomized Crossover Study of Patients with Heart Failure and Ventricular Arrhythmias

Biventricular (BV) pacing is under clinical investigation for the treatment of heart failure. Its impact on mortality is unknown. Patients with heart failure and ventricular tachyarrhythmias received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator with BV pacing capability. Patients were randomized 1:1 to BV pacing or no pacing, then crossed over to the alternate mode after 3 months. All‐cause mortality was measured in each arm up to the point of crossover. Fifteen of 222 patients died between implant and crossover. Five patients died while programmed to BV pacing and 19 died while programmed to no pacing. Survival in the BV pacing arm was 93 ± 4% versus 86 ± 6% in the no pacing arm (P = 0.18). In a patient population with symptomatic heart failure and ventricular arrhythmias, BV pacing does not appear to be associated with excess mortality. Larger and longer studies will be needed to determine if BV pacing confers a survival benefit.
Trends in cancer mortality in Mexico, 1981–2007

The objective of this study was to provide information on recent trends in cancer mortality in Mexico. We analyzed data provided by the World Health Organization, using joinpoint analysis to detect changes in trends between 1981 and 2007. For most cancers, mortality was upward but started to decline in the late 1980's/early 1990's for both sexes. Overall cancer mortality was 75.53/100 000 men, world standard, and 69.2/100 000 women in 2005–2007. Mortality from uterine cancer declined by approximately 2.5% per year in the 1990s, and by approximately 5% per year in the last decade, but its rates remained exceedingly high (9.7/100 000 in 2005–2007). Other major declines over recent years were those of stomach cancer (approximately 2.5% per year, with rates of 6.6/100 000 in men and 4.9/100 000 in women in 2005–2007) and lung cancer (2–2.5% per year, 11.0/100 000 in men and 4.5/100 000 in women in 2005–2007). Mortality leveled off only since the early 1990s for breast and prostate, and since the late 1990s for colorectal cancer. Death rates from cancer in Mexico remained low on a worldwide scale and showed favorable trends over more recent calendar years. Mortality from (cervix) uterine cancer still represents a major public health priority in this country.
Absence of Modifications of the Enzyme Defense System against Oxygen Toxicity in Cystic Fibrosis

Summary: Cystic fibrosis (CF) has recently been linked to the group of human diseases in which cultured fibroblasts express premature aging. As the deleterious effect of oxygen derivatives in the cell is one of the numerous pathways associated with cell aging, the activity of the enzymatic defense system, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), glutathione reductase (GR), was examined in the erythrocytes of 12 CF children and was compared to age-matched normal controls. No significant differences were found in CF children when compared to the controls. Glutathione-S-transferase was also assayed, but the significant difference found between CF children and normal controls is probably not specific of CF as it is found in other pathologic situations such as hyperbilirubinemia or renal insufficiency.
Group B Streptococcus detection in pregnant women via culture and PCR methods.

INTRODUCTION: Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a source of neonatal infection, colonizes the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts of pregnant women. Routine screening for maternal GBS in late pregnancy and consequent intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis have reduced the incidence of early-onset GBS neonatal infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of PCR, compared to culture (gold standard), in GBS colonization screening of pregnant women, and to establish the prevalence of GBS colonization among this population. METHODS: Vaginal introitus and perianal samples were collected from 204 pregnant women, between the 35th and 37th weeks of pregnancy, at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit of the University of Caxias do Sul General Hospital between June 2008 and September 2009. All samples were cultured after enrichment in a selective medium and then assayed by culture and PCR methods. RESULTS: The culture and PCR methods yielded detection rates of vaginal/perianal GBS colonization of 22.5% and 26%, respectively (sensitivity 100%; specificity 95.6%; positive and negative predictive values 86.8% and 100%, respectively). A higher prevalence of GBS colonization was detected in the combined vaginal and perianal samples by both culture and PCR assay analyses. CONCLUSIONS: PCR is a faster and more efficient method for GBS screening, allowing for optimal identification of women who should receive intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent newborn infection.
Transtheoretical model and risky sexual behaviour in HIV + youth in Thailand

Abstract The purpose of the study was to determine the applicability of the Transtheoretical Model for predicting unprotected intercourse in HIV+ Thai youth. Questionnaires and interviews about sexual behaviour, readiness to change, self-efficacy, substance use, emotional distress and social support were obtained from 70 HIV+ Thai youth (ages 17 to 25). Path analysis suggested the model was an excellent fit with the data. Readiness to change but not self-efficacy was directly related to unprotected intercourse acts. This differed from HIV+ youth in the US where self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship between readiness to change and condom use. In the Thai sample, social support and self-efficacy were indirectly related to unprotected intercourse through stage of change. Substance use was unrelated to unprotected intercourse, but rates of use were low. Potential cultural differences in the construct of self-efficacy and its relationship to risky behaviours in Thailand require further study. However, results highlight the potential of prevention interventions that increase readiness to change through boosting self-efficacy and social support specific to practicing safer sex while addressing mental health concerns.
Deterioration in Renal Function after Beta-blockade in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure and Hypertension

Treatment of hypertension with beta-blocking agents in three patients with moderately severe chronic renal failure was followed by rapid deterioration of renal function. In two of the patients the need for maintenance haemodialysis was accelerated but renal function in the third reverted to pretreatment levels after the drug was stopped. These findings suggest that until more is known about the effects of beta-blocking drugs they should not be given to patients with moderately severe renal failure.
Large-cap vs small-cap portfolio performance: new empirical evidence from ETFs

PurposeA well-documented pattern in the literature concerns the outperformance of small-cap stocks relative to their larger-cap counterparts. This paper aims to address the “small-cap versus large-cap” issue using for the first time data from the exchange traded funds (ETFs) industry.Design/methodology/approachSeveral raw return and risk-adjusted return metrics are estimated over the period 2012-2016.FindingsResults are partially supportive of the “size effect”. In particular, small-cap ETFs outperform large-cap ETFs in overall raw return terms even though they fail the risk test. However, outperformance is not consistent on an annual basis. When risk-adjusted returns are taken into consideration, small-cap ETFs are inferior to their large-cap counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsThis research only covers the ETF market in the USA. However, given the tremendous growth of ETF markets worldwide, a similar examination of the “small vs large capitalization” issue could be conducted with data from other developed ETF markets in Europe and Asia. In such a case, useful comparisons could be made, so that we could conclude whether the findings of the current study are unique and US-specific or whether they could be generalized across the several international ETF markets.Practical implicationsA possible generalization of the findings would entail that profitable investment strategies could be based on the different performance and risk characteristics of small- and large-cap ETFs.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the performance of ETFs investing in large-cap stock indicesvis-à-visthe performance of ETFs tracking indices comprised of small-cap stocks.
Rad51-Dependent Aberrant Chromosome Structures at Telomeres and Ribosomal DNA Activate the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

ABSTRACT The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) monitors defects in kinetochore-microtubule attachment or lack of tension at kinetochores and arrests cells at prometaphase. In fission yeast, the double mutant between pot1Δ and the helicase-dead point mutant of the RecQ helicase Rqh1 gene (rqh1-hd) accumulates Rad51-dependent recombination intermediates at telomeres and enters mitosis with those intermediates. Here, we found that SAC-dependent prometaphase arrest occurred more frequently in pot1Δ rqh1-hd double mutants than in rqh1-hd single mutants. SAC-dependent prometaphase arrest also occurred more frequently in rqh1-hd single mutants after cells were released from DNA replication block compared to the rqh1-hd single mutant in the absence of exogenous insult to the DNA. In both cases, Mad2 foci persisted longer than usual at kinetochores, suggesting a defect in kinetochore-microtubule attachment. In pot1Δ rqh1-hd double mutants and rqh1-hd single mutants released from DNA replication block, SAC-dependent prometaphase arrest was suppressed by the removal of the recombination or replication intermediates. Our results indicate that the accumulation of recombination or replication intermediates induces SAC-dependent prometaphase arrest, possibly by affecting kinetochore-microtubule attachment.
From Tumor Targeting to Speech Monitoring: Accurate Respiratory Monitoring Using Medical Continuous-Wave Radar Sensors

Since the debut of medical radar sensors nearly four decades ago, there have been many technical advancements that helped this technology mature. Progresses have been seen from system architectures to signal processing algorithms. Many research efforts have been dedicated to utilize the radar sensors for different biomedical applications such as noncontact vital sign detection, human fall detection, through-wall detection, and medical imaging. A special application is radar respiration measurement in motion-adaptive cancer radiotherapy. The radar measures the respiration pattern that is used to infer the tumor location in real time. To realize accurate respiration pattern measurement, the signal distortion problem in a conventional CW radar sensor was extensively analyzed, and the solution led to a dc-coupled radar that is distortion-free. Successful preliminary clinical tests have been carried out using the radar sensor in a radiotherapy environment, demonstrating its feasibility. The same dc-coupled physiological radar sensor solution also shows the potential of monitoring the physical states and speech of the subject person.
Left ventricular stroke volume in the fetal sheep is limited by extracardiac constraint and arterial pressure

1 Extracardiac constraint and sensitivity to arterial pressure may be critical factors that limit the functional reserves of the developing fetal heart in utero. We hypothesise that extracardiac constraint is the predominant factor that limits fetal stroke volume (SV). To test this hypothesis we studied six chronically instrumented fetal sheep to determine the relative roles that extracardiac constraint and arterial pressure play in determining left ventricular (LV) function. 2 Pregnant ewes (128‐131 days gestation, term = 147 days) were anaesthetised (5 mg kg−1 Propofol I.V., then 1.5 % halothane, 50 % O2, balance N2O by inhalation) and instrumented using sterile surgical techniques to record LV end‐diastolic pressure (Plved), aortic pressure (Pao), pericardial pressure (Pper), and LV SV. 3 After a minimum of 72 h recovery, LV function was assessed by altering fetal blood volume to vary Plved. Ventricular function curves were generated using two measures of ventricular function, SV and stroke work index (SWI = SV ×Pao), and two measures of ventricular filling, Plved and LV end‐diastolic transmural pressure (Plved,tm=Plved ‐ Pper). 4 Although decreasing Plved from the resting level decreased SV, increasing Plved from the resting level did not increase SV because the ventricular function curve plateaued. This plateau was not explained solely by an increase in aortic pressure, as the plateau remained present in the SWI versus Plved curve. When extracardiac constraint was accounted for (SV against Plved,tm), the plateau was largely eliminated (≈80 %). The remaining portion of the plateau (≈20 %) was eliminated when both extracardiac constraint and arterial pressure were accounted for (SWI versus Plved,tm). 5 Thus, the major limitation upon LV function in the near‐term fetus results from extracardiac constraint limiting ventricular filling while, at the same time, a much smaller limitation arises from increasing arterial pressure.
Enterprising education - a research on students as agents of change in social entrepreneurship

Abstract This article is a study on the awareness and understanding of social entrepreneurship among students. Moreover, the article aims to emphasize the different meanings this buzz word has developed, whether it is the purpose of social entrepreneurship, the fields it activates in or the profit which should or should not be distributed. We aim to cover aspects of the definition of the social entrepreneurship field, as well as the ways in which students act as agents of change. The main research methodologies used except for literature review are interviews and case studies for several social business developed by students. The interviews are with no predetermined questions, in order to allow flexibility. The article wants to demonstrate that students are the emerging social entrepreneurs and important initiators of change in this field. In this regards, students should be educated and should develop skills within the universities programs, skills that are very specific compared to simple entrepreneurship. The main theoretical contribution to the field of education is the proven necessity that education facilities need to educate themselves. In order to create our future entrepreneurs as well as provide them with the skills set necessary to become entrepreneurs, education needs to become enterprising. The main practical contribution is the proof of students being involved in the change of society around them and main contributors to their environment.
Expression and function of tumour necrosis factor-alpha-converting enzyme in the central nervous system.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-converting enzyme (TACE/ADAM17) is a membrane protein belonging to the ADAM (a disintegrin and a metalloprotease) family able to cleave various membrane proteins, including the transmembrane form of TNF-alpha at its physiological processing site. Being an ADAM, TACE may mediate not only proteolysis but also adhesive interactions; however, the role of the disintegrin domain of TACE has not been studied. In the central nervous system (CNS), little is known about the physiological role of TACE, but some important pathophysiological functions have been reported recently, with both neurotoxic and neuroprotective repercussions. This article discusses and reviews the main contributions to this field of investigation addressing the expression and function of TACE in the CNS.
EFFECT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIALIZATION ON FOOD SECURITY AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN POLOKWANE MUNICIPALITY, CAPRICORN DISTRICT OF LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

Agricultural commercialization refers to agricultural transformation in which farmers shift from mainly consumption oriented subsistence production towards market and profit oriented production systems. This study examined the effect of agricultural commercialization on food security among smallholder farmers in Polokwane municipality of Capricorn District in South Africa. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaire. A multistage sampling technique was employed to collect data from 56 respondents in the study area. Analytical tools employed descriptive statistics, ordinary least square regression and Logistic regression. The results showed the majority (87.5 percent) of the farmers were market oriented. The study also revealed that number of hired labourers, farm size, government subsidies, type of mechanization and monthly expenses had influence on commercialization in the study area. Again, age of respondents, their marital status, level of education, farm size, number of labourers employed, mechanization type and the level of commercialization were the determinants of food security in the study area. The study therefore, recommended that smallholder farmers in Polokwane municipality should be provided with productive inputs such as land, irrigation facilities and other incentives, market information, credit facilities and extension services to enhance commercialization. Investment in capacity building through education should also be intensified to enhance commercialization because of its positive influence
The reappraisal of benzodiazepines in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders

Benzodiazepines (BDZs) continue to be shrouded in controversy, mainly because of dependence associated with their long-term use and some of their side effects. Despite treatment recommendations favoring newer antidepressants, BDZs are still commonly prescribed for anxiety and related disorders. Recent studies have demonstrated that long-term use of BDZs for these conditions can be effective and safe and that BDZs can be combined with psychological therapy and antidepressants to produce optimal outcomes. Such findings, along with a failure to convincingly demonstrate the overall superiority of alternative pharmacotherapy for anxiety and related disorders, have given an impetus to a reconsideration of the role of BDZs. This article reviews BDZs and other pharmacotherapy options for anxiety and related disorders and suggests that treatment guidelines should acknowledge that BDZs can be used as first-line, long-term pharmacological treatment for panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder.
Activation of Human and Chicken Toll-Like Receptors by Campylobacter spp

ABSTRACT Campylobacter infection in humans is accompanied by severe inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, in contrast to colonization of chicken. The basis for the differential host response is unknown. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) sense and respond to microbes in the body and participate in the induction of an inflammatory response. Thus far, the interaction of Campylobacter with chicken TLRs has not been studied. Here, we investigated the potential of four Campylobacter strains to activate human TLR1/2/6, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR9 and chicken TLR2t2/16, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR21. Live bacteria showed no or very limited potential to activate TLR2, TLR4, and TLR5 of both the human and chicken species, with minor but significant differences between Campylobacter strains. In contrast, lysed bacteria induced strong NF-κB activation through human TLR1/2/6 and TLR4 and chicken TLR2t2/16 and TLR4 but not via TLR5 of either species. Interestingly, C. jejuni induced TLR4-mediated beta interferon in human but not chicken cells. Furthermore, isolated chromosomal Campylobacter DNA was unable to activate human TLR9 in our system, whereas chicken TLR21 was activated by DNA from all of the campylobacters tested. Our data are the first comparison of TLR-induced immune responses in humans and chickens. The results suggest that differences in bacterial cell wall integrity and in TLR responses to Campylobacter LOS and/or DNA may contribute to the distinct clinical manifestation between the species.
Interleukin‐6 Gene Knockout Influences Energy Balance Regulating Peptides in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular and Supraoptic Nuclei

Interleukin (IL)‐6 is a pro‐inflammatory cytokine that also affects metabolic function because IL‐6 depleted (IL‐6−/−) mice develop late‐onset obesity. IL‐6 appears to act in the central nervous system, presumably in the hypothalamus, to increase energy expenditure that appears to involve stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. In the present study, we explored possible central mechanisms for the effects exerted by IL‐6 on body fat. Therefore, we measured the effects of IL‐6 depletion in IL‐6−/− mice on expression of key hypothalamic peptide genes involved in energy balance by the real time polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, co‐localisation between such peptides and IL‐6 receptor α was investigated by immunohistochemistry. IL‐6 deficiency decreased the expression of several peptides found in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), which is a nucleus that has been attributed an adipostatic function. For example, corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH), which is reported to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, was decreased by 40% in older IL‐6−/− mice. Oxytocin, which is reported to prevent obesity, was also decreased in older IL‐6−/− animals, as was arginine vasopressin (AVP). The IL‐6 receptor α was abundantly expressed in the PVN, but also in the supraoptic nucleus, and was shown to be co‐expressed to a high extent with CRH, AVP, oxytocin and thyrotrophin‐releasing hormone. These data indicate that depletion of endogenous IL‐6, a body fat suppressing cytokine, is associated with the decreased expression of CRH and oxytocin (i.e. energy balance regulating peptides) as well as AVP in the PVN. Because IL‐6 receptor α is co‐expressed with CRH, oxytocin and AVP, IL‐6 could stimulate the expression of these peptides directly.