Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
QoS Supported IPTV Service Architecture over Hybrid-Tree-Based Explicit Routed Multicast Network

With the rapid advance in multimedia streaming and multicast transport technology, current IP multicast protocols, especially PIM-SM, become the major channel delivery mechanism for IPTV system over Internet. The goals for IPTV service are to provide two-way interactive services for viewers to select popular program channel with high quality for watching during fast channel surfing period. However, existing IP multicast protocol cannot meet above QoS requirements for IPTV applications between media server and subscribers. Therefore, we propose a cooperative scheme of hybrid-tree based on explicit routed multicast, called as HT-ERM to combine the advantages of shared tree and source tree for QoS-supported IPTV service. To increase network utilization, the constrained shortest path first (CSPF) routing algorithm is designed for construction of hybrid tree to deliver the high-quality video stream over watching channel and standard quality over surfing channel. Furthermore, the Resource Reservation Protocol- Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE) is used as signaling mechanism to set up QoS path for multicast channel admission control. Our simulation results demonstrated that the proposed HT-ERM scheme outperforms other multicast QoS-based delivery scheme in terms of channel switching delay, resource utilization, and blocking ratio for IPTV service.
Antimicrobial properties of hemoglobin

Hemoglobin consists of a heme containing component and a globin unit. It exists as a tetramer with 2 α subunits and 2 β subunits in adults and with 2 α subunits and 2 γ chains in infants. On proteolytic cleavage, hemoglobin breaks down to produce many biologically active compounds, among which are hemocidins, those which exhibit antimicrobial property. The generation of these peptides does not depend on the blood group, Rhesus factor, age and sex of the healthy donors. The microbicidal activity has been observed against a variety of gram positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and against filamentous fungi, yeast and even certain parasites. The discovery of hemocidins opens a new field for research into the details of the peptides acting as second line of defence in boosting the innate immune system of the organisms.
Increased sensitivity of dopaminergic inhibition of luteinizing hormone release in immature and castrated female rats.

Apomorphine, a dopamine receptor-stimulating drug, at a dose of 5 mg/kg BW was highly effective in reducing serum LH levels in chronically ovariectomized rats. Continued treatment of the same rats with a depot form of this drug (dibutyrylapomorphine (ZK 48241)) twice daily for 10 days resulted in depressed LH levels for a period of 3 days. By day 9, serum LH levels were normal and could not be depressed by another injection of apomorphine (5 mg/kg BW). The first injection of apomorphine had no effect on serum FSH levels; however, chronic treatment with ZK 48241 caused serum FSH to rise throughout the remainder of the 10-day period. Serum prolactin levels were depressed by the acute apomorphine treatment as well as during the period of ZK 48241 treatment. Apomorphine as well as piribedil (another dopamine receptor-stimulating drug) at doses of 1 or 10 mg/kg BW completely prevented the occurrence of premature preovulatory-type LH peaks when injected at noon into 15-day old female rats. Serum FSH remained un.
Mobile Phones and Social Capital: a Preliminary Study in South Korea

Social capital is one of the influential concepts in social science to understand contemporary societies. It has been found to influence many aspects of social life, directly or indirectly. It is also increasingly explored in relation to Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Nevertheless, social capital is a challenging variable to research, in part because of its multiple divergent definitions and measures. This paper presents and conducts a preliminary test of a model for understanding how ICT affects social capital. The model hypothesizes that the changes in social capital caused by ICT result from some degree of mobility in social interaction obtainable by using ICT over time. Principally, three types of mobility – temporal mobility, spatial mobility and contextual mobility – are identified. The preliminary test, using mobile phones as an example of ICT, was conducted in South Korea, which is one of the leading countries in mobile technology development. All three types of mobility are found to be important in explaining the impacts of mobile phones on social capital.
State of the ART

This review provides a brief look at the state of the assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in the United States in 2016. In 2013, the most recent year for which data are available through the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 190 773 total cycles of ART. Live births ranged from 40.1% per cycle initiated in women younger than 35 years to 4.5% live births per cycle initiated in women older than 42 years. US clinics must report their outcomes to the CDC. Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology clinics must report through the SART, which maintains rigorous quality assurance and validation programs. Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology member clinics must abide by minimum standards set by the SART and the ASRM, which include educational and other requirements for professionals participating in in vitro fertilization programs as well as standards for the laboratories. Assisted reproductive technology in the United States is a highly regulated field on a voluntary basis with excellent clinical results.
Cross-layer Packet-dependant OFDM Scheduling Based on Proportional Fairness

This paper assumes each user has more than one queue, derives a new packet dependent proportional fairness power allocation pattern based on the sum of weight capacity and the packet's priority in users' queues, and proposes 4 new schemes of cross-layer packet dependent OFDM scheduling for heterogeneous classes of traffic based on proportional fairness. Scenario 1, scenario 2 and scenario 3 lead respectively artificial fish swarm algorithm, self-adaptive particle swarm optimization algorithm and cloud adaptive particle swarm optimization algorithm into sub-carrier allocation in packet dependent proportional fairness scheduling, and use respectively new power allocation pattern, self-adaptive particle swarm optimization algorithm and population migration algorithm to allocate power. Scenario 4 uses greedy algorithm concerning fairness to allocate sub-carriers, and uses new power allocation pattern to allocate power. Simulation indicates scenario 1, scenario 2 and scenario 3 raise the system's total rate on the basis of undertaking the fairness among users' rates and average packet delay; scenario 4 not only meets the demands of users' rates and average packet delay, but also improves the fairness among users' rates.
Effect of whole-body vibration training on body balance in chronic stroke patients

Falls are serious problems that disrupt rehabilitation in post-stroke hemiplegic patients. Approximately 5% of falls result in severe injuries, such as hip fractures. Therefore preventing falls is one of the most important goals of post-stroke rehabilitation. Exercise is generally thought to be effective for the prevention of falls. Whole body vibration (WBV) training has been developed as a new modality that can improve lower extremity muscle strength and body balance in elderly people. However, little is known about the effects of WBV training in hemiplegic patients. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of WBV training for 4 weeks on chronic stroke patients. Thirty chronic stroke patients were enrolled and allocated to either WBV group (WBV, n=15) or control group (CON, n=15). Difference between these two groups was assessed with the Berg Balance Scale, Fugl-Meyer lower extremity score, knee extension strength and 10m gait time before the training or 4 weeks after of it. Although there were no significant effect on Fugl-Meyer lower extremity score, knee extension strength and 10m gait time, the Berg Balance Scale was significantly improved by the WBV training. These results show that WBV training may have the potential to improve body balance in patients with chronic hemiplegia.
2-D lumped-parameter thermal modelling of axial flux permanent magnet generators

Results from lumped parameter thermal modeling of an axial flux permanent magnet generator based on the application of the 2-D equivalent thermal circuit are presented. The components of the generator and the internal air-flow domain are split into a system of connected and interacting control volumes. Energy and mass conservation equations are then solved for each of volume to determine its thermal state. This method takes into account heat transfer due to both conduction and convection. Two case studies have been performed to validate the accuracy of the 2-D equivalent thermal circuit model by comparison with CFD results.
Does Competition Promote Trust and Trustworthiness in Online Trading? An Experimental Study

We investigate whether greater market competition improves or inhibits the ability of feedback systems in Internet markets to deliver trust and trustworthiness to the marketplace. Our investigation is grounded in the theory of signaling from information economics. Using methods from experimental economics, we create a laboratory online market where sellers face a moral hazard. We manipulate the level of market competition and the nature of the social network behind the feedback system and study the affect on trust, trustworthiness, and market efficiency. We find that competition in strangers networks, where market encounters are one-shot and reputation information is communicated through outside parties, improves trust, trustworthiness, and market efficiency. The efficiency advantage that partners networks, where a buyer can maintain a repeated relationship with a seller, have over strangers networks largely vanishes with the introduction of competition. This is because the difference in the pattern of social networking largely disappears. Overall, encouraging competition leads to more effective feedback systems in Internet markets. We discuss implications for trader strategy and Internet market design.
Attitudes and behaviors of acute and chronic schizophrenic patients regarding ambulatory treatment.

Attiiudes toward and behavioral compliance with ambulatory treatment of acute and chronic schizophrenics of both sexes were examined. The results revealed a marked discrepancy between positive attitudes toward medication, outpatient care, and employment and noncompliance with these therapeutic interventions. In addition, an examination of the relationship between compliance with ambulatory treatment and the need for rehospitalization revealed that, at least for the chronic schizophrenic patient, such compliance leads to a diminished need for rehospitalization. The authors discuss these findings in terms of the different views of their illness which these patients may hold. Implications for psychiatric treatment of posthospitalized patients are also explored.
Evaluation of Ceftaroline and Levofloxacin against Staphylococci Using Serum from Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Purpose: Currently, no clinical data exists comparing ceftaroline to a “respiratory” fluoroquinolone in patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). The purpose of this study was to compare time-kill assays of ceftaroline and levofloxacin against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus using sera from hospitalized patients with a diagnosis CABP. Methods: A total of 12 patients were equally randomized to receive ceftaroline (600 mg q12h) or levofloxacin (750 mg q24h) for treatment of presumptive CABP. Blood samples were obtained on day 3 at 2, 6 and 12h after the initiation of the antibiotic infusion and serum levels were measured using a LC/MS/MS assay. Time-Kill curves were performed using these patient sera against selected clinical isolates of S. aureus with levofloxacin MICs ranging from 0.5 mg/L to 4 mg/L. Findings: Both agents exhibited bactericidal activity (≥3 log kill at 24h) against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) strains with levofloxacin MICs=0.5 and 1.0 mg/L. Only ceftaroline produced bactericidal activity against MSSA isolates with levofloxacin MICs=2.0 and 4.0 mg/L. Similar results were observed against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains for levofloxacin but bactericidal activity was not observed for ceftaroline against all MRSA isolates. Bacterial regrowth was observed with 6 and 12h serum samples against MRSA strains with ceftaroline MICs > 0.25 mg/L. Implications: In summary, our study results found that clinical concentrations of ceftaroline exhibited bactericidal activity against strains of S. aureus that were both susceptible as well as non-susceptible to levofloxacin, but did not produce bactericidal activity against all strains of MRSA. Correspondence to: Gary E. Stein, Department of Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824 USA, Tel: 517-353-5126; Fax: 517-353-1922; E-mail: Gary.Stein@hc.msu.edu, steing@msu.edu
A chromosomal gene required for killer plasmid expression, mating, and spore maturation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

"Killer" strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are those that harbor a double-stranded RNA plasmid and secrete a toxin that kills only strains not carrying this plasmid (sensitives). Two chromosomal genes (kex1 and kex2) are required for the secretion of toxin by plasmid-carrying strains. The kex2 gene, which maps at a site distinct from the mating-type locus, is also required for normal mating by alpha strains and meiotic sporulation in all strains. Strains that are alpha mating-type and kex2 fail to secrete the pheromone alpha-factor or to respond to the alpha-factor II pheromone which causes a morphological change, but they do respond to alpha-factor I which causes G1 arrest in alpha cells. Strains that are alpha mating-type and kex2 show no defect in mating; pheromone secretion, or response to alpha-factor. Diploids that are homozygous for the kex2 mutation, unlike wildtype or heterozygous diploids, fail to undergo sporulation, with the defect occurring in the final spore maturation stage. These same defects in the sexual cycle are present in all kex2 mutants independent of the presence of the "killer" plasmid.
On the calculus ratiocinator

The project, entertained by Leibniz and others, of creating an ideal language to facilitate ratiocination, is investigated in detail. Six possible relations between the ideal language (IL) and the natural language (NL) it replaces are studied. (1) IL says exactly what NL says, but says it much more clearly. (2) IL says exactly what NL says, but does so more economically. (3) IL says exactly what NL says, but does so more succinctly. (4) IL says part of what NL says, and says it more perspicuously. (5) IL says part of what NL says, and says it more perspicuously; moreover, there is an effective procedure for going from NL to IL. (6) IL says everything that NL says, plus some things that NL cannot say.
Using BPEL Processes defined by Event-driven Process Chains

The paper discusses the usability concept of workflow services for eventdriven process chains. Usability is similar to controllability, known from Workflow net based BPEL semantics theory. Based on the observation, that if business processes interact (for instance because one of them is a service), it must be possible to check whether this is structurally possible or not. In opposite to prior work, the focus is laid on the exchange of information rather than on the integration of shared events and functions. The theoretical outcome of the paper is applied to a German E-Government (web) service.
Shape evolution using restoration forces

This paper presents a mathematical formulation of neural shape changes. The dynamics of the model for the evolution of the elastic cell membrane is based on a system of coupled springs under the action of internal and external forces, based on the biology of neural development and growth. Although this article presents a simple implementation, improvements can be performed by adding active contours to the formulation, enabling a more complete description.
Insights gained from the management of problematical anal fistulae at St. Mark's Hospital, 1984–88

Twenty‐four (3·6 per cent) patients with problematical anal fistulae out of 671 with anal fistulae were analysed to assess the reasons for their recurrences and ultimate outcome. Thirteen patients (group A) had recurrent fistulae despite two definitive attempts at surgery at this hospital (median number of previous procedures before referral to this hospital was two, range 0‐7; median number of definitive procedures at this hospital was three, range 3–4). In five of these patients, the reason for recurrence was missed primary (four cases) or secondary tracks (one case) at earlier operations. Five patients required multiple operations related to the use of setons. Eleven other patients (group B) required colostomy construction, eight because of severe perianal sepsis, two because of complex fistulae, and one for postrectal dermoid. Fistula healing occurred ultimately in all patients in group A afer a median of 14 months (range 4–38 months). In group B, fistula healing occurred in eight patients after a median of 7.5 months (range 2–55 months) after colostomy construction. Only one patient has had a proctectomy, and five still have their colostomy. Of the other 18 patients, continence is normal in 14, there is mucus leakage in two, flatus incontinence in one and faecal incontinence in one. In conclusion, persistent attempts to resolve anal fistulae in difficult cases are frequently successful in the long term and result in good continence.
Impact of a new anisotropic rheology on simulations of Arctic sea ice

[1] A new rheology that explicitly accounts for the subcontinuum anisotropy of the sea ice cover is implemented into the Los Alamos sea ice model. This is in contrast to all models of sea ice included in global circulation models that use an isotropic rheology. The model contains one new prognostic variable, the local structure tensor, which quantifies the degree of anisotropy of the sea ice, and two parameters that set the time scale of the evolution of this tensor. The anisotropic rheology provides a subcontinuum description of the mechanical behavior of sea ice and accounts for a continuum scale stress with large shear to compression ratio and tensile stress component. Results over the Arctic of a stand-alone version of the model are presented and anisotropic model sensitivity runs are compared with a reference elasto-visco-plastic simulation. Under realistic forcing sea ice quickly becomes highly anisotropic over large length scales, as is observed from satellite imagery. The influence of the new rheology on the state and dynamics of the sea ice cover is discussed. Our reference anisotropic run reveals that the new rheology leads to a substantial change of the spatial distribution of ice thickness and ice drift relative to the reference standard visco-plastic isotropic run, with ice thickness regionally increased by more than 1 m, and ice speed reduced by up to 50%.
The Indispensability of Character

Gilbert Harman has argued that it does not make sense to ascribe character traits to people. The notion of morally virtuous character becomes particularly suspect. How plausible this is depends on how broad character traits would have to be. Views of character as entirely invariant behavioural tendencies offer a soft target. This paper explores a view that is a less easy target: character traits as specific to kinds of situation, and as involving probabilities or real possibilities. Such ascriptions are not undermined by Harman's arguments, and it remains plausible that the agent's character often is indispensable in explanation of behaviour. Character is indispensable also as processes of control that impose reliability where it really matters.
Statistical analysis of steady state leakage currents in nano-CMOS devices

Motivated by the problem of process variation in nano-scale CMOS, in this paper, we propose a multivariate statistical technique that uses the well known approach of principal component analysis (PCA), a technique extensively used in statistical modeling, to analyse the process variations. We use this approach to extract significant statistical information from the simulated data. We also propose a statistical model to characterize nano-scale CMOS device characteristics such as dynamic current Idyn, gate leakage Igate, and subthreshold leakage Isub considering the effects of random variations in the process and design parameters such as gate oxide thickness Tox, supply voltage Vdd and gate length L. These models can be used at higher level of circuit abstraction to study the design issues under process variation.
Extração de nomes de pessoas em textos em português: uma abordagem usando gramáticas locais

A identiﬁcacao automatica de nomes de pessoas em textos e uma tarefa importante no processamento de linguagem natural. Esse artigo descreve uma abordagem para identiﬁcar nomes de pessoas em textos em portugues, com base em uma gramatica local construida apos um estudo linguistico desses textos. Uma gramatica para o livro Senhora, um classico de Josa de Alencar, foi construida e posteriormente aplicada a artigos de um jornal local do Espirito Santo. O objetivo foi observar a apropriacao da gramatica construida para um contexto em outro. Foi observado que isso e possivel, mas algumas adaptacoes sao necessarias para melhorar o desempenho. Para o livro Senhora foi obtido 99% de Recall e 100% de Precision. Os resultados sao promissores.
Muscle metabolism in patients with polymyositis simultaneously evaluated by using 31P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy and near‐infrared spectroscopy

Summary Simultaneous measurements of muscle energy metabolism using 31P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P‐MRS) and the kinetics of muscular oxygen metabolism using near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were conducted in polymyositis (PM) patients. The subjects were 12 PM patients (age 45 ± 12 years) and 12 normal controls (age 41 ± 12 years). The muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) index and intracellular pH (pHi) were determined with 31P‐MRS and the changes in intramuscular oxygenated (oxy‐Hb), deoxygenated (deoxy‐Hb), and total haemoglobin (total Hb) were evaluated with NIRS . The pHi and PCr index before steroid therapy in PM patients were significantly lower during exercise than in normal controls, and their recovery was statistically significantly delayed compared with the controls. The pattern of changes in NIRS over time before steroid therapy in PM patients differed from that in normal controls. There were smaller changes in deoxy‐Hb and oxy‐Hb during exercise, and total Hb decreased during exercise. In contrast, the kinetics of muscular metabolism after steroid therapy showed changes similar to those seen in normal controls. Simultaneous 31P‐MRS and NIRS measurements to determine the kinetics of muscular metabolism are expected to be useful as a noninvasive approach for the evaluation of treatment effects in PM patients.