Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Convergence of the TTL Approximation for an LRU Cache under Independent Stationary Request Processes

The modeling and analysis of an LRU cache is extremely challenging as exact results for the main performance metrics (e.g., hit rate) are either lacking or cannot be used because of their high computational complexity for large caches. As a result, various approximations have been proposed. The state-of-the-art method is the so-called TTL approximation, first proposed and shown to be asymptotically exact for IRM requests by Fagin [13]. It has been applied to various other workload models and numerically demonstrated to be accurate but without theoretical justification. In this article, we provide theoretical justification for the approximation in the case where distinct contents are described by independent stationary and ergodic processes. We show that this approximation is exact as the cache size and the number of contents go to infinity. This extends earlier results for the independent reference model. Moreover, we establish results not only for the aggregate cache hit probability but also for every individual content. Last, we obtain bounds on the rate of convergence.
Comparative Study on KNN and SVM Based Weather Classification Models for Day Ahead Short Term Solar PV Power Forecasting

Accurate solar photovoltaic (PV) power forecasting is an essential tool for mitigating the negative effects caused by the uncertainty of PV output power in systems with high penetration levels of solar PV generation. Weather classification based modeling is an effective way to increase the accuracy of day-ahead short-term (DAST) solar PV power forecasting because PV output power is strongly dependent on the specific weather conditions in a given time period. However, the accuracy of daily weather classification relies on both the applied classifiers and the training data. This paper aims to reveal how these two factors impact the classification performance and to delineate the relation between classification accuracy and sample dataset scale. Two commonly used classification methods, K-nearest neighbors (KNN) and support vector machines (SVM) are applied to classify the daily local weather types for DAST solar PV power forecasting using the operation data from a grid-connected PV plant in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. We assessed the performance of SVM and KNN approaches, and then investigated the influences of sample scale, the number of categories, and the data distribution in different categories on the daily weather classification results. The simulation results illustrate that SVM performs well with small sample scale, while KNN is more sensitive to the length of the training dataset and can achieve higher accuracy than SVM with sufficient samples.
THE ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE : A CROSS COUNTRY ANALYSIS

We employ a dataset for 56 nations to analyze the age at which men and women first marry. In separate equations for each gender, important effects are found for wages, labor force participation rates, educational attainment, and infant mortality rates in predicting the age at first marriage for males and females across nations. Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) methods evince some gains in efficiency over ordinary least squares when the equations are estimated as a system.
Nemo: Multi-criteria Test-Suite Minimization with Integer Nonlinear Programming

Multi-criteria test-suite minimization aims to remove redundant test cases from a test suite based on some criteria such as code coverage, while trying to optimally maintain the capability of the reduced suite based on other criteria such as fault-detection effectiveness. Existing techniques addressing this problem with integer linear programming claim to produce optimal solutions. However, the multi-criteria test-suite minimization problem is inherently nonlinear, due to the fact that test cases are often dependent on each other in terms of test-case criteria. In this paper, we propose a framework that formulates the multi-criteria test-suite minimization problem as an integer nonlinear programming problem. To solve this problem optimally, we programmatically transform this nonlinear problem into a linear one and then solve the problem using modern linear solvers. We have implemented our framework as a tool, called Nemo, that supports a number of modern linear and nonlinear solvers. We have evaluated Nemo with a publicly available dataset and minimization problems involving multiple criteria including statement coverage, fault-revealing capability, and test execution time. The experimental results show that Nemo can be used to efficiently find an optimal solution for multi-criteria test-suite minimization problems with modern solvers, and the optimal solutions outperform the suboptimal ones by up to 164.29% in terms of the criteria considered in the problem.
Factors Related to Life satisfaction , Meaning of life , Religiosity and Death Anxiety in Health Care Staff and Students : A Cross Sectional Study from India

Death is beyond one's personal control, generates great concern and anxiety, among human beings. Studies exploring the association between religious attitudes and death attitudes in adolescents and young adults in postmodern society are scarce. This study examines the relationship between five dimensions of attitude toward death (fear of death, death avoidance, neutral acceptance, approach acceptance, and escape acceptance), death anxiety, life satisfaction and meaning, religiosity and selected personal factors among health care staff and students in three teaching hospitals. A total of 230 adolescents and adults both sexes who were willing participated. Diener et al Satisfaction with Life, Steger et al Meaning of Life Questionnaire; Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, Wong's Death Attitude Profile-R and a religious attitude scale were administered. Findings showed students' search for meaning was higher than faculty. An unusual finding of higher Approach acceptance death attitude in students emerged. Correlation analysis revealed that presence of meaning was related to greater life satisfaction in both groups. It was further related to higher religiosity in both groups and higher neutral acceptance of death and lesser death anxiety in students alone. In both groups search for meaning was positively associated with death anxiety. Faculty's search for meaning was positively associated with negative death attitudes and surprisingly one positive death attitude. Death anxiety was more with faculty's advancing age, and was also more when both groups held negative death attitudes. Religiosity was positively associated with death anxiety in students. Further, religiosity was not only positively associated with positive death attitudes of approach acceptance (both groups) and neutral acceptance (faculty) but also with negative attitude of death avoidance (faculty). Death anxiety was more despite both groups embracing approach acceptance death attitude indicating ambivalent death views.
Preliminary Study on Oxidation of Elemental Mercury in the Presence of Gaseous Oxidants

Elemental mercury in coal-fired flue gas is difficult to be removed efficiently by traditional Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD). It has been proved to a promising approach to convert elemental mercury to oxidized mercury, which is soluble and ready to be captured. The oxidants for the direct oxidation of elemental mercury by gas phase reaction were studied, and gaseous iodine was investigated in this paper. The reaction kinetics between elemental mercury and oxidants were determined experimentally. Iodine showed high performance to the oxidation of elemental mercury among these oxidants, and the 2nd rate constant was about 1.95times10-16cm3-molecules-1ldrs-1 at around 297 K. In addition, sulfur dioxide had very slight impact on the reaction kinetics between elemental mercury and iodine. However, nitric oxide showed a significant inhibition effect on this reaction.
The Migrant Effect: An Evaluation of Native Academic Performance in Qatar

Recent data have suggested that despite massive outlays on educational reform Qatar consistently ranks as one of the least academically proficient countries in key areas of literacy. Of the seventy-four countries that participated in PISA 2009 Qatar ranked between sixty-seven and sixty-nine in mathematics, reading and science literacy. Although this is a very dismal level of performance when compared to other countries, for the native Qatari population even these low rankings are biased upward. This study shows that a major reason for overestimation of native academic performance in Qatar is the presence of a large foreign component in the student population. The bias persists even after controlling for demographic differences such as age, gender, grade and socioeconomic status. An estimate of the bias which can be used to obtain correct estimates of true native academic performance is provided.
Role of hepcidin in recombinant human erythropoietin therapy resistance among chronic hemodialysis patients

Objective: To assess the role of hepcidin in recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) therapy resistance among chronic hemodialysis patients Methods: This study included 43 maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients under rhEPO treatment for a median time period of 18 months and 20 healthy volunteers as a control group. The HD patients included 22 responders and 21 non-responders to rhEPO therapy. In all patients and controls; hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, Serum iron, serum ferritin, Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum IL-6 & Serum hepcidin levels were measured. Results: Compared to controls, HD patients presented with lower mean Hb concentration, higher mean serum ferritin, mean CRP, mean IL-6, and mean hepcidin serum levels [all are p <0.001]. Among HD patients; nonresponders had lower mean Hb, higher mean rhEPO dose, higher mean CRP levels and also higher mean IL- 6 levels. Mean hepcidin serum levels among non-responders were significantly higher than among responders [all are p <0.001]. Multiple regression analysis showed that ERI, ferritin, CRP, and IL- 6 as an independent variables were significantly associated with hepcidin serum levels ( r = 0.756; p < 0.001, r = 0.921; p < 0.001, r = 0.732 ; p = 0.002 & r = 0.807 ; p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Serum hepcidin level could be considered as a marker of rhEPO treatment resistance in maintenance hemodialysis patients.
Phytoplankton calcification as an effective mechanism to alleviate cellular calcium poisoning

Abstract. Marine phytoplankton have developed the remarkable ability to tightly regulate the concentration of free calcium ions in the intracellular cytosol at a level of ~ 0.1 μmol L−1 in the presence of seawater Ca2+ concentrations of 10 mmol L−1. The low cytosolic calcium ion concentration is of utmost importance for proper cell signalling function. While the regulatory mechanisms responsible for the tight control of intracellular Ca2+ concentration are not completely understood, phytoplankton taxonomic groups appear to have evolved different strategies, which may affect their ability to cope with changes in seawater Ca2+ concentrations in their environment on geological timescales. For example, the Cretaceous (145 to 66 Ma), an era known for the high abundance of coccolithophores and the production of enormous calcium carbonate deposits, exhibited seawater calcium concentrations up to 4 times present-day levels. We show that calcifying coccolithophore species (Emiliania huxleyi, Gephyrocapsa oceanica and Coccolithus braarudii) are able to maintain their relative fitness (in terms of growth rate and photosynthesis) at simulated Cretaceous seawater calcium concentrations, whereas these rates are severely reduced under these conditions in some non-calcareous phytoplankton species (Chaetoceros sp., Ceratoneis closterium and Heterosigma akashiwo). Most notably, this also applies to a non-calcifying strain of E. huxleyi which displays a calcium sensitivity similar to the non-calcareous species. We hypothesize that the process of calcification in coccolithophores provides an efficient mechanism to alleviate cellular calcium poisoning and thereby offered a potential key evolutionary advantage, responsible for the proliferation of coccolithophores during times of high seawater calcium concentrations. The exact function of calcification and the reason behind the highly ornate physical structures of coccoliths remain elusive.
Characteristics and antioxidant activity of Maillard reaction products derived from chitosan-sugar solution.

The Maillard reaction occurring between amino group and carbonyl group produces neoformed compounds having certain levels of antioxidant activity depending on the reaction conditions and the type of reactants. In this study, maillard reaction products (MRPs) derived from four model systems including chitosan-glucose (CG), chitosan-fructose (CF), chitosanmaltose (CM) and chitosan-lactose (CL) solutions were prepared by heating at 100 oC for various times (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 h) and their characteristics and antioxidant activity were investigated. Browning intensity and intermediate products, as monitored by A420 and AUVλmax, increased with heating time. The increase in browning intensity and formation of intermediate products were concomitant with the decreases in free amino group and reducing sugar contents. DPPH radical scavenging activity, FRAP, reducing power, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation of all MRPs derived from chitosan-sugar model systems increased with the increase in browning intensity and intermediate formation. Among all MRPs tested, those derived from CG system rendered the highest browning intensity, intermediate products and antioxidant activity as evidenced by the greatest scavenging effect, reducing power, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Thus, MRPs derived from chitosan-sugar model system can be promoted as a novel antioxidant to prevent lipid oxidation in food system.
The vascular endothelial growth factor genes expression in glioma U87 cells is dependent from ERN1 signaling enzyme function

The expression of different vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) genes was studied in glioma U87 cells with endoplasmic reticulum–nuclei-1 (ERN1) loss of function and its regulation by hypoxia and glutamine or glucose deprivation conditions as model of ischemia. The blockade of function of the ERN1 enzyme, which is a major sensor of endoplasmic reticulum stress, leads to a decrease of the VEGFA, VEGFB and VEGFC mRNA expression level. The level of VEGFA proteins also decreases at this experimental condition in the cytosolic fraction, but increases in the nuclear fraction. Hypoxia does not affect VEGFC and increases the expression level of VEGFA and VEGFB mRNA in both used cell types, however, the change was much less profound in cells with suppressed function of ERN1. The expression level of VEGFC mRNA decreases in both used cell types in glutamine deprivation condition, however, the change was more profound in control glioma cells. At the same time, the expression level of VEGFA mRNA increases and VEGFB—decreases in gluta-mine deprivation condition in control glioma cells only. Exposure of glioma cells to glucose deprivation condition increases VEGFB mRNA expression level in both used cell types; however, VEGFA—in control glioma cells only and VEGFC—in cells with ERN1 signaling enzyme loss of function only. Thus, the results of this study clearly demonstrated the down-regulation of the expression of all three VEGF genes in glioma cells with ERN1 loss of function which correlates to the suppressed angiogenesis and proliferation rate of these cells. Moreover, the effect of hy-poxia and glutamine or glucose deprivation condition on the expression level of all VEGF genes is different and mainly depends on ERN1 signaling enzyme function.
Influence of Seasons on Honeybee Wooden Hives Attack by Termites in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Termites have been observed as major pre- colonisation and post-colonisation pest insect of honeybees' wooden hives in Nigeria. However, pest situation studies in modern beekeeping have been largely directed towards those pests that affect honeybees rather than the biological structure (wood) which houses the honeybees and the influence of seasons on the pests' activities against the hives. This study, therefore, investigated the influence of seasons on the intensity of hives attacks by termites for 2 years in University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State using visual inspection. The Experimental Apiary was established with 15 Kenyan's top bar hives made of Triplochiton scleroxylon wood that were strategically placed and observed within the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management arboretum. The colonies hives consistently showed comparatively lower termite's infestation levels in the dry season and, consequently, also lower attacks on the colonized hives. The result indicated raining season as a distinct period for more destructive activities of termites on the hives and strongly associated with dryness of the hives. Since previous study and observations have linked colonization with dry season coupled with minimal attacked on colonized hives; the non-colonised hives should be removed from the field at the onset of raining season and returned two weeks prior to dry season to reduce hives degradation by pests. Keywords—Attack, hives degradation, Nigeria, seasons, termites.
The Impact of Knowledge Management Processes on Organisational Performance The Impact of Knowledge Management Processes on Organisational Performance

In today's increasingly competitive business environment, the use of knowledge to gain a competitive advantage has become a serious concern for all organisations. However, despite the increasing number of studies relating to Knowledge Management (KM) in developed countries, few studies have explored this issue within the context of developing countries. Moreover, some industries have been affected more acutely than others in the transition to a knowledge-based economy. Towards covering this gap, this study aims at investigating the impact of Knowledge Management processes on Organisational Performance (OP). In this paper, the authors propose a conceptual model through an in-depth investigation of the previous and current studies in the area of Knowledge Management and Organisational Performance. Through an extensive classification of Knowledge Management processes, the proposed model explores the impact of each Knowledge Management process on improving the level of Organisational Performance. It is envisaged that this model can play a role in guiding the process of Knowledge Management implementation in order to maximise the beneficial effects of Knowledge Management processes on Organisational Performance.
Clinical features according to chest radiologic patterns of Mycoplasma pneumonia in children.

Background: Clinical differences in Mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) in children and adolescent patients according to abnormal infiltrate patterns on the chest X-ray were compared. Methods: From 2012 to 2015, patients (n=336) diagnosed with MP at Yeungnam University Medical Center have been classified as eiher lobar pneumonia or bronchopneumonia based on the infilterate patterns observed on chest X-ray. Cases were analyzed retrospectively for gender, age, seasonal incidence rate, main symptoms (fever duration, extrapulmonary symptoms), and laboratory results, including white blood cell count, hemoglobin, platelets, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), as well as concurrent respiratory virus infection. Results: The following results were observed. First, lobar pneumonia affected 22.0% of all MP patients and was the most common in preschool children, with a high incidence rate in November and December. Second, lobar pneumonia had a longer fever duration than bronchopneumonia (p<0.001), and also showed significantly higher platelets (336.8 vs. 299.1 k/μL, p=0.026), ESR (46.3 vs. 26.0 mm/hr, p<0.001) and CRP (4.86 vs. 2.18 mg/dL, p=0.001). Third, viral co-infection was more common in bronchopneumonia (p=0.017), affecting 66.7% of infants and toddlers (p=0.034). Finaly, lobar consolidation was most common in both lower lobes. Conclusion: MP in children has increased in younger age groups, and the rate of lobar pneumonia with severe clinical symptoms is higher in older children.
Voltage support by distributed static VAr systems (SVS)

This paper shows that when load centers require Static VAR Systems (SVS) for regulated voltage control, the strategy of using many, small, distributed SVS located at distribution buses is more advantageous than a few large bulk SVS located at the transmission or sub-transmission bus. The advantages are (i) standby to meet N-1 reliability criterion is reduced; (ii) costly high voltage transformers are no longer needed because the SVS can be connected directly to the low voltage distribution buses; (iii) distribution-side voltage support is more effective so that the total MVAr requirement of the distributed SVS is less. Simulation studies have demonstrated that the distributed SVS units operate harmoniously together.
The demography of the lizard Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a highly seasonal Neotropical savanna

The demography of the lizard Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a highly seasonal Neotropical savanna. The demography of a population of Tropidurus torquatus was studied from March 1996 until December 1998, in the Cerrado biome of central Brazil, using the method of capture and recapture. Population size, number of incoming individuals in the population, and age structure varied seasonally, reflecting the reproductive cycle of the species. The instantaneous rate of population increase did not differ from zero throughout the study. In general, the permanence rates of juveniles and adults were low, indicating a large turnover of individuals in the population, with a maximum life expectancy of three years. The sex-ratio among adults was biased toward females. Since no bias was observed among juveniles and there was no difference in adult permanence between sexes, we suggest that the biased adult sex-ratio resulted from a lower permanence of males during a short ontogenetic period, when secondary sexual characteristics develop. When compared to T. itambere, the studied population of T. torquatus attained a higher density and a greater female bias in the sex-ratio. In general, the studied population presented characteristics that, according to life history theory, should be associated with early age at maturity and polygyny: short life expectancy, high population turn over, and female biased sex-ratios.
Some Biochemical Changes Followed Experimental Gastric Ulceration

Gastric ulceration is a discontinuity in gastric mucosa, usually occurs due to imbalance between the gastric mucosal protective factors, that is called gastric mucosal barrier, and the aggressive factors, to which the mucosa is exposed. This study was carried out on sixty male Sprague-Dowely rats (1216 weeks old) allocated into two groups. The first control group and the second Gastric lesion group which induced by oral administration of a single daily dose of aspirin at a dose of 300 mg/kg body weight for 7 consecutive-days (6% aspirin solution will be prepared and each rat will be given 5 ml of that solution/kg body weight). Blood is collected 1, 2 and 3 weeks after induction of gastric ulceration. Significant increase in serum copper, nitric oxide, and prostaglandin E2 all over the period of experiment. Significant decrease in erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (t-SOD) activities, serum (calcium, phosphorus, glucose and insulin) levels. Non-significant changes in serum sodium and potassium levels are obtained. Keywords—Aspirin, Gastric Ulcer, Prostaglandin E 2, Superoxide dismutase