Scheduling Packets with Values and Deadlines in Size-bounded Buffers

Motivated by providing quality-of-service differentiated services in the Internet, we consider buffer management algorithms for network switches. We study a multi-buffer model. A network switch consists of multiple size-bounded buffers such that at any time, the number of packets residing in each individual buffer cannot exceed its capacity. Packets arrive at the network switch over time; they have values, deadlines, and designated buffers. In each time step, at most one pending packet is allowed to be sent and this packet can be from any buffer. The objective is to maximize the total value of the packets sent by their respective deadlines. A 9.82-competitive online algorithm has been provided for this model (Azar and Levy. SWAT 2006), but no offline algorithms have been known yet. In this paper, We study the offline setting of the multi-buffer model. Our contributions include a few optimal offline algorithms for some variants of the model. Each variant has its unique and interesting algorithmic feature. These offline algorithms help us understand the model better in designing online algorithms.Comment: 7 page

The effect of worry and rumination on cognitive abilities with considering role of mediating role of emotional intelligence

Background and aims: The cognitive abilities were included functions such as planning, attention, response inhibition, problem solving and cognitive flexibility. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of worry and rumination on cognitive abilities based on emotional intelligence. Methods: The present study was a correlational and cross-sectional research. For this purpose, from the statistical population of the urmia University students, 340 were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling. Then, the worry, rumination, emotional intelligence and cognitive abilities questionnaire were distributed among research participants to respond. Collected data were analyzed by using descriptive and correlational indicators, and structural equation modeling. Results: Results indicated that there is a significant negative correlation between worry and rumination and a positive correlation between emotional intelligence with cognitive abilities. Also, path analysis model indicated mediating role of emotional intelligence between worry and rumination with cognitive abilities. Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis that worry and rumination lead to disruption of cognitive abilities and high emotional intelligence can have a moderating role in this regard

Investigation of correlation of the variations in land subsidence (detected by continuous GPS measurements) and methodological data in the surrounding areas of Lake Urmia

Lake Urmia, a salt lake in the north-west of Iran, plays a valuable role in the environment, wildlife and economy of Iran and the region, but now faces great challenges for survival. The Lake is in immediate and great danger and is rapidly going to become barren desert. As a result, the increasing demands upon groundwater resources due to expanding metropolitan and agricultural areas are a serious challenge in the surrounding regions of Lake Urmia. The continuous GPS measurements around the lake illustrate significant subsidence rate between 2005 and 2009. The objective of this study was to detect and specify the non-linear correlation of land subsidence and temperature activities in the region from 2005 to 2009. For this purpose, the cross wavelet transform (XWT) was carried out between the two types of time series, namely vertical components of GPS measurements and daily temperature time series. The significant common patterns are illustrated in the high period bands from 180–218 days band (~6–7 months) from September 2007 to February 2009. Consequently, the satellite altimetry data confirmed that the maximum rate of linear trend of water variation in the lake from 2005 to 2009, is associated with time interval from September 2007 to February 2009. This event was detected by XWT as a critical interval to be holding the strong correlation between the land subsidence phenomena and surface temperature. Eventually the analysis can be used for modeling and prediction purposes and probably stave off the damage from subsidence phenomena

La formation hybride au Maroc : ce qu’en pensent les enseignants-stagiaires en période post-Covid

La crise du Covid-19 a entraîné un important bouleversement des institutions de formation sans précédent. Le monde éducatif s’est trouvé, du jour au lendemain, dans l’obligation d’agir dans l’urgence et de décider dans l’incertitude en vue d’assurer la continuité pédagogique. En pleine période de confinement, les Centre Régionaux des Métiers de l’Education et de la Formation (CRMEF) ont mis les mains et les pieds pour mettre en place un dispositif d’enseignement à distance sur une grande échelle. Au lendemain de la crise sanitaire, l’enseignement hybride devient une stratégie institutionnelle adoptée. Ce constat nous a poussée à effectuer des entretiens semi-directifs avec certains enseignants stagiaires du CRMEF de Rabat-Maroc en vue de détecter leurs perceptions sur certains aspects de cette expérience   Les résultats de cette recherche montrent que la majorité des enseignants-stagiaires enquêtés déclare être insatisfaite de ce type de formation vu les défis posés, et une minorité d’entre eux ne nie pas l’importance de l’articulation présence-distance dans la formation qui pourrait être meilleure avec les soutiens nécessaire

Risk of Covid-19 in shielded and nursing care home patients: cohort study in general practice

Background: Covid-19 cases were first detected in the UK in January 2020 and vulnerable patients were asked to shield from March to reduce their risk of Covid-19 infection. Aim: To determine the risk and determinants of Covid-19 diagnosis in shielded vs. non-shielded groups adjusted for key comorbidities not explained by shielding. Design: Retrospective cohort study of adults with COVID-19 infection between 1/2/20-15/5/20 in West London. Method: Individuals diagnosed with Covid-19 were identified in SystmOne records using clinical codes. Infection risks were adjusted for socio-demographic factors, nursing home status and comorbidities. Results: Of 57,713 adults, 573 (1%) individuals were identified as shielded and 1,074 adults had documented Covid-19 infections (1.9%). Covid-19 infection rate in the shielded group individuals compared with non-shielded adult individuals was 6.5 % (37/573) vs. 1.8 % (1,037/57, 140), p30kg/m2) 1.39 (1.18-1.63) p<0.001, and age 1.02 (1.01-1.02) p<0.001. Male gender was associated with lower risk of Covid-19 infection: 0.71 (0.62-0.82) p<0.001. Conclusion: Shielded individuals had a higher Covid-19 infection rate compared with non-shielded individuals, after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, nursing home status, and comorbidities

Lipid oxidation in fresh and stored eggs enriched with dietary w3 and w6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E and A dosages

Two experiments were planned to study the influence of dietary fat sources (fish oil (FO) or sunflower oil (SO)) and dietary doses of -tocopheryl acetate (-TA) (0, 60 and 120 mg/kg of feed) and vitamin A (0 IU, 10000 IU and 20000 IU) on lipid oxidation of stored eggs in three stages of 0 or fresh, 1 and 2 months of storage time. In the first experiment, 96 hen layers in six treatments including two oil sources (FO and SO) and two dietary [0, 60 and 120 mg/kg doses of -tocopheryl acetate (-TA)] were fed for 75 days. In the second experiment, 96 hen layers in six treatments including two sources of w3 and w6 (FO and SO) and three doses 0, 10000 and 20000 IU of vitamin A were fed for 75 days. The results showedthat using -TA supplementation, lipid stability of enriched eggs increased and was very effective throughout the stored period of the eggs. Yolk TBA value was higher in fish oil than sunflower oil groups (p &lt; 0.01). The treatments that contained 120 mg/kg of -TA in diets, showed lower lipidperoxidation than other groups in stages of 2 and 3 storage time (30 and 60 days). The degree of lipid oxidation in fresh, 1 and 2 months of storage eggs was measured by the lipid TBA values. The results showed that TBA value in fresh and stored eggs was higher in groups containing fish oil than other groups (p &lt; 0.01). The MDA value in stage 1 was higher in fish oil group and in 2 and 3 stages was lower in FO + A1. Therefore, addition of Vitamin E and A as natural antioxidants in diets containing oil source for the prevention of lipid oxidation is recommended

Organizational Innovation, Technological Innovation, and Export Performance: The Effects of Innovation Radicalness and Extensiveness

This study focuses on the relevance of different types of innovation for firms’ export performance. Despite ample research on the innovation–performance relationship, previous studies have mainly focused on technological innovations, leaving the effects of organizational innovations relatively unexplored. Hypotheses on the relationship between organizational and technological innovations and firm export performance are tested by structural equation modelling using data from 218 Swedish export ventures. The results indicate that organizational innovation enhances export performance both directly and indirectly by sustaining technological innovation. Moreover, by fine-graining our analysis of the mediating role of technological innovation, according to its radicalness and extensiveness, for organizational innovation, we show how the latter enhances both the radicalness and extensiveness of technological innovation although, notably, only extensiveness is actually beneficial for export performance. This study helps alleviate the scarcity of research examining the links among different types of innovation in relation to export performance and contributes to international business and marketing literature by generating new evidence regarding the mechanisms through which organizational and technological innovations may improve export performance

Comparison of psychological health in mothers of diabetic and Leukemic children and control group

Background: Parents' psychological health is one of the most important factors to obtain health in children with chronic disease. Objectives: In this paper, we intended to evaluate and compare psychological health in parents of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and Leukemic children with control group and estimate the effect of the type of disease on parents' psychological health and if possible recommend means to improve it. Patients and Methods: Three groups of mothers (30 people per group) were evaluated. T1DM children's mothers, Leukemic children's mothers, and control group were chosen from mothers of children who came to Hazrat Aliasghar Emergency Room without any underlying diseases. The samples were asked to fill SCL-90-R and FBIS questionnaires. In addition, other forms were filled for their demographic characteristics. Results: The abbreviation (GSI) score in Leukemic children's mothers was higher than T1DM children's mothers and both groups had higher GSI compared with the control group. Conclusions: Parental functioning and wellbeing are important aspects of a family adaptation to chronic pediatric conditions. Moreover, psychological interventions were recommended to patients. © 2015, Iranian Society of Pediatrics

Technical efficiency and resources allocation in university hospitals in Tehran, 2009-2012

Background: Assessment of hospitals' performance in achieving its goals is a basic necessity. Measuring the efficiency of hospitals in order to boost resource productivity in healthcare organizations is extremely important. The aim of this study was to measure technical efficiency and determining status of resource allocation in some university hospitals, in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This study was conducted in 2012; the research population consisted of all hospitals affiliated to Iran and Tehran medical sciences universities of. Required data, such as human and capital resources information and also production variables (hospital outputs) were collected from data centers of studied hospitals. Data were analyzed using data envelopment analysis (DEA) method, Deap2,1 software; and the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) method, Frontier 4,1 software. Results: According to DEA method, average of technical, management (pure) and scale efficiency of the studied hospitals during the study period were calculated 0.87, 0.971, and 0.907, respectively. All kinds of efficiency did not follow a fixed trend over the study time and were constantly changing. In the stochastic frontier's production function analysis, the technical efficiency of the studied industry during the study period was estimated to be 0.389. Conclusion: This study represented hospitals with the highest and lowest efficiency. Reference hospitals (more efficient states) were indicated for the inefficient centers. According to the findings, it was found that in the hospitals that do not operate efficiently, there is a capacity to improve the technical efficiency by removing excess inputs without changes in the level of outputs. However, by the optimal allocation of resources in most studied hospitals, very important economy of scale can be achieved