Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Cost Effective Architecture and Throughput Efficient Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation Protocol for Fog Computing Over EPON

Edge and fog networks call for high speed and energy-efficient networking platforms. Passive Optical Networks (PON) have been identified as a promising candidate for such platforms. In conventional dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) schemes for PON, the transmitter of an optical network unit (ONU) remains idle until the completion of upstream transmission of all other ONUs which indicates poor utilization of the transmitter. Scheduling fog services during these free intervals of time would lead to improved transmitter utilization. In this work, we exploit this opportunity and present a DBA protocol and its architecture, for enabling fog services. Our architecture employs a single line card at the ONUs providing considerable savings in terms of cost and energy. The results show that the cost per ONU could be reduced by 87$ and power savings of 5W per ONU could be achieved compared to proposals using separate transceivers at the ONU. The proposed DBA improves the load tolerance by ~300% towards maintaining delay bound of 10 ms and an improvement in throughput by ~20% at high loads when compared to existing philosophies, which is highly desirable for a delay-sensitive fog network. Placing fog node at remote node allows the fog node to operate at higher loads while maintaining delay bound when compared to its placement at OLT.
The effect of light and temperature on the chemical composition of pasture plants.

Summary The effect of different levels of light and temperature on the chemical composition of some representative pasture grasses and legumes was investigated. Substances estimated included various nitrogenous constituents, sugars, ash, fructosan, and organic acids. The effect of two levels of light and of temperature has been measured. The most striking changes were found in nitrate content, this being highest with low light and high temperature and lowest with high light and low temperature. White clover and short-rotation ryegrass showed some differences in behaviour when compared with other species. An experiment using white clover at three different levels of light, other conditions being similar, showed a definite relationship between light intensity and chemical composition. Finally, results are reported for three species grown in controlled environment cabinets at temperature levels varying from 45°F to 95°F.
Allopodocotyle margolisi n.sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) from the deep-sea fish Coryphaenoides (Chalinura) mediterraneus in the northeastern Atlantic

An opecoelid digenean parasite, Allopodocotyle margolisi n.sp. , is described from the macrourid fish Coryphaenoides (Chalinura) mediterraneus from benthopelagic waters of the North Rockall Trough, NE Atlantic Ocean. This is the first member of the genus to be recorded from deep-sea fishes. It is distinguished from its neritic congeners on the basis of features that include the arrangement of the testes, length of the cirrus-sac, and sucker-ratio. Its distinctness from other opecoelids from deep-sea fishes is also commented upon.
Improvement in estimation of soil water retention using fractal parameters and multiobjective group method of data handling

Soil water retention characteristic is required for modeling of water and substance movement in unsaturated soils and need to be estimated using indirect methods. Point pedotransfer functions (PTFs) for prediction of soil water content at matric suctions of 1, 5, 25, 50, and 1500 kPa were developed and validated using a data-set of 148 soil samples from Hamedan and Guilan provinces, Iran, by multiobjective group method of data handling (mGMDH). In addition to textural and structural properties, fractal parameters of the power-law fractal models for both particles and aggregates distributions were also included as predictors. Their inclusion significantly improved the PTFs’ accuracy and reliability. The aggregate size distribution fractal parameters ranked next to the particle size distribution (PSD) in terms of prediction accuracy. The mGMDH-derived PTFs were significantly more reliable than those by artificial neural networks but their accuracies were practically the same. Similarity between the fractal behavior of particle and void size distributions may contribute to the improvement of the derived PTFs using PSD fractal parameters. It means that both distributions of the pore and particle size represent the fractal behavior and can be described by fractal models.
Microbial colonization and activity in relation to organic carbon in sediments of hypertrophic coastal waters (Nordrügensche Bodden, Southern Baltic Sea)

This study investigated the microbial community structure and functioning in relation to properties of dominant sediment types (sand, mud) of hypertrophic inner coastal waters. A transect in the Groser Jasmunder Bodden (inner part of the Nordrugensche Bodden, Southern Baltic Sea), with 6 stations from the shore to the central part was sampled in June 1999. In light-exposed nearshore sandy sediments, microphytobenthos was the driving source for benthic metabolism. Positive relationships between photoautotrophic biomass and available dissolved organic carbon (measured with a microbial biosensor) suggested that the pool of available dissolved organic nutri- ents was supplied by photosynthesis products of the benthic microalgae. Organic matter produced by these algae was rapidly recycled and led to low standing stocks of organic matter. In contrast, muddy organic-rich accumulation sites in greater water depths with limited or no light were hetero- trophically dominated. These sediments retained large amounts of deposited organic matter, espe- cially organic carbon and phosphorus. Intensive microbial degradation of deposited organic matter resulted in enhanced enzymatic activity, and in enhanced concentrations of ammonium and phos- phate in porewaters. Our findings revealed that sedimentary bulk parameters such as concentration and degradability of particulate organic carbon as well as microbial biomass and activity depend on mud content in pure sandy sediments (with a mud content <10%), while they remain unchanged in sediments with higher mud content. Carbon-normalized enzymatic activity rates revealed that substrate turnover rates in muddy sediments of hypertrophic waters were relatively low compared to sediments with comparable total organic carbon concentrations in eutrophic waters. These findings imply that the availability of degradable organic matter (accounting only for <1% of total organic matter) and probably inorganic nutrients might be of much greater importance in regulating microbial biomass and activity than total organic carbon.
Observations on spore production in Spilocaea oleagina in southern Italy1

Sporogenesis in Spilocaea oleagina was investigated in the field in relation to climatic conditions, in a 2-year trial. At the beginning of each trial, a standard number of infected leaves still attached to the plant were gently scraped in order to remove completely all the fungal structures present on the lesion. At 1-week intervals, four such leaves were detached from the plant, examined in the laboratory for new conidiophores and conidia production, and rated for number of conidia produced by 100 conidiophores. In the first year of the trial, the fungus showed intense activity from the first week of April (beginning of the trial) to the end of April. This activity continued at reduced intensity with small variations until the end of September. In the second year (starting at the beginning of December), the fungus showed an initial lag, starting producing conidia in the last week of December. Activity increased progressively until the beginning of April. After a relatively static period during summer, the fungus resumed intense activity during September and October (end of the trial). Sporogenesis in S. oleugina appears to be linked to climatic conditions, especially to RH, maximum activity of the fungus being recorded during rainy or highly humid periods.
Light Beneath the Litter in a Tropical Forest: Effect on Seed Germination

The spectral composition of the light transmitted through the forest canopy, through dry and moist litter leaves, and through intact forest litter was measured in a tropical rain forest in Mexico. Germination of photoblastic seeds of some pioneer trees and shrubs was studied over a light quality gradient, and in field germination experiments on the surface of the forest floor and beneath the litter layer. There is a shift to longer wavelengths inside the forest that is even greater beneath the litter. Light filtered through dead leaves strongly inhibits germination as demonstrated with field and laboratory germination experiments. The role of litter as a light filter might be important in maintaining a reserve of dormant seeds in the soil in tropical rain forests. See full-text article at JSTOR
The Evolution of Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy against HIV-1 Infection: Improvements and Outlook

Dendritic cells (DC) are key phagocytic cells that play crucial roles in both the innate and adaptive immune responses against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). By processing and presenting pathogen-derived antigens, dendritic cells initiate a directed response against infected cells. They activate the adaptive immune system upon recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) on infected cells. During the course of HIV-1 infection, a successful adaptive (cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell) response is necessary for preventing the progression and spread of infection in a variety of cells. Dendritic cells have thus been recognized as a valuable tool in the development of immunotherapeutic approaches and vaccines effective against HIV-1. The advancements in dendritic cell vaccines in cancers have paved the way for applications of this form of immunotherapy to HIV-1 infection. Clinical trials with patients infected with HIV-1 who are well-suppressed by antiretroviral therapy (ART) were recently performed to assess the efficacy of DC vaccines, with the goal of mounting an HIV-1 antigen-specific T-cell response, ideally to clear infection and eliminate the need for long-term ART. This review summarizes and compares methods and efficacies of a number of DC vaccine trials utilizing autologous dendritic cells loaded with HIV-1 antigens. The potential for advancement and novel strategies of improving efficacy of this type of immunotherapy is also discussed.
Evaluation of polarimetry and interferometry of sentinel-1A SAR data for land use and land cover of the Brazilian Amazon Region

Abstract Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data has been an alternative for monitoring ground targets, especially in areas with cloud cover. This study evaluates the potential of Sentinel-1A attributes for mapping land use and land cover (LULC) in a region of the Brazilian Amazon, using two different machine learning classifiers: Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Different scenarios were used that combined backscattering, polarimetry, and interferometry to the classification process, which was divided into two phases to improve the results. The RF shows superiority over the SVM for almost all scenarios for the two phases of the mapping. The scenario with all data, presented the best results with both classifiers. The final maps with RF and SVM, obtained a global accuracy of 82.7% and 74.5%, respectively. This study demonstrated the potential of Sentinel-1 to map LULC classes in the Amazon region using a classification in two phases.
Herb Cover Effects on Tree Seedling Patterns in a Mature Hemlock‐Hardwood Forest

The role of herbs in affecting tree seedling patterns was investigated in an old—growth hemlock—hardwood forest in Cathedral State Park, West Virginia. Herb species cover, tree seedling density, and overhead foliage were sampled along with midsummer soil pH, soil moisture, and light intensity in 20 selected herb patches and 440 30 x 30 cm plots. Analyses of the patch data showed significant correlations of seedlings of major tree species: Prunus serotina, Acer rubrum, Tsuga canadensis, and Betula spp. , with leading herb species (Dennstaedtia, Mitchella, Lycopodium, and Oxalis). Each tree species had few seedlings in some herb species patches, but was independent of or concentrated in other patches. Herb species were spatially related to other herb species, but showed little correspondence to soil pH, soil moisture, and light intensity patterns. Analyses of plot samples supported each of the above results. In addition, total tree seedling density was inversely correlated with total herb cover, but neither .
The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Macao. From tourism lockdown to tourism recovery

ABSTRACT Macao was one of the first cities outside China to start a gradual tourism lockdown in January 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Although critical to Macao’s economy, tourism had essentially ceased by March 2020, as the city closed its borders to regional and foreign arrivals. This paper presents the key policy and health measures since Macao’s first coronavirus case in January. The city had recorded no coronavirus cases in the city in early March, but saw a second wave of imported coronavirus cases mostly as residents and non-resident workers returned from overseas. At the request of government, over 10% of Macao’s hotel room inventory had been allocated as quarantine hotels. The ‘top-down’ approach by government meant stringent policy measures consisting of border closures and health advisories were actioned immediately to stem the spread of coronavirus. The economic consequences to the casino industry, which supplies 85% of the government’s total tax revenues, have been dramatic, as casino revenues continue to spiral downwards by over 80% in both February and March. This paper presents Macao’s reaction to the coronavirus in a three-wave analogy. It is argued that the recovery wave should move to public-private consolidation and collaboration.
COVID-19 Antibody Test/Vaccination Certification: There's an App for That

Goal: As the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2019/2020 unfolds, a COVID-19 ‘Immunity Passport’ has been mooted as a way to enable individuals to return back to work. While the quality of antibody testing, the availability of vaccines, and the likelihood of even attaining COVID-19 immunity continue to be researched, we address the issues involved in providing tamper-proof and privacy-preserving certification for test results and vaccinations. Methods: We developed a prototype mobile phone app and requisite decentralized server architecture that facilitates instant verification of tamper-proof test results. Personally identifiable information is only stored at the user's discretion, and the app allows the end-user selectively to present only the specific test result with no other personal information revealed. The architecture, designed for scalability, relies upon (a) the 2019 World Wide Web Consortium standard called ‘Verifiable Credentials’, (b) Tim Berners-Lee's decentralized personal data platform ‘Solid’, and (c) a Consortium Ethereum-based blockchain. Results: Our mobile phone app and decentralized server architecture enable the mixture of verifiability and privacy in a manner derived from public/private key pairs and digital signatures, generalized to avoid restrictive ownership of sensitive digital keys and/or data. Benchmark performance tests show it to scale linearly in the worst case, as significant processing is done locally on each app. For the test certificate Holder, Issuer (e.g. healthcare staff, pharmacy) and Verifier (e.g. employer), it is ‘just another app’ which takes only minutes to use. Conclusions: The app and decentralized server architecture offer a prototype proof of concept that is readily scalable, applicable generically, and in effect ‘waiting in the wings’ for the biological issues, plus key ethical issues raised in the discussion section, to be resolved.
Biological and Serological Characterization of a Non-gliding Strain of Tenacibaculum maritimum Isolated from a Diseased Puffer Fish Takifugu rubripes

Tenacibaculum maritimum is a Gram-negative, gliding marine bacterium that causes tena- cibaculosis, an ulcerative disease of marine fish. The bacterium usually forms rhizoid colonies on agar media. We isolated T. maritimum that formed slightly yellowish round compact colonies together with the usual rhizoid colonies from a puffer fish Takifugu rubripes suffering from tenacibaculosis, and studied the biological and serological characteristics of a representative isolate of the compact colony phenotype, designated strain NUF1129. The strain was non-gliding and avirulent in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus in immersion challenge test and showed lower adhesion ability to glass wall in shaking broth culture and to the body surface of flounder. It lacked a cell-surface antigen commonly detected in glid- ing strains of the bacterium in gel immunodiffusion tests. SDS-PAGE analysis showed different polypep- tide banding patterns between NUF1129 and gliding strains. Like gliding strains, NUF1129 exhibited both chondroitinase and gelatinase activities, which are potential virulence factors of the bacterium. These results suggest that some cell-surface components related to gliding and adhesion ability are impli- cated in the virulence of T. maritimum.
Effects of foliar selenium application on some physiological and phytochemical parameters of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Sultana under salt stress

Abstract In this research the effect of foliar application of selenium (Se) at four levels (Na2OSe4; 0, 5, 10 and 20 mg L−1) was evaluated on some phytochemical characteristics of Sultana grapevine under different salinity levels (NaCl; 0 or 75 mM). The vines were fed twice a week with Hoagland nutrient solution and Se was foliar applied twice with 24 intervals. During growing period, plant height, leaf number and leaf area were recorded. Moreover, at the end of experiment, mature leaves from middle nods of canes were used for measurement of some phytochemical indices. According to results, Se application had a positive effect on plant height, leaf numbers, leaf area and photosynthetic pigments content especially at 5 mg L−1 and to some extent 10 mg L−1 Se levels. Under salinity stress, foliar application of Se at 5 mg L−1 considerably decreased vines leaves electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation values compared to non se-treated plants under salinity stress condition. Selenium had an additive effect on salinity stress (75 mM NaCl) induced accumulation of total phenol, total flavonoid, soluble sugars and proline content in leave of vines. Moreover, the interaction of salinity and Se at 5 and 10 mg L−1 improved leaves antioxidant enzymes activities in Sultana grapevine. Likewise, foliar application of Se improved leaf mineral content in 75 mM NaCl -treated vines. Totally, foliar application of selenium (Se at 5 or 10 mg L−1) increased salt tolerance through improvement in nutritional balance and by enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity in grapevine leaves.
Factor Structure of the Short Version of the Working Alliance Inventory and Its Longitudinal Measurement Invariance Across Individual Career Counseling Sessions

The aim of the present study was 2-fold: (a) to examine the factor structure of the short version of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI-S) in clients who were engaged in individual career counseling sessions and (b) to investigate whether the factor structure of the WAI-S is invariant across the first and the third career counseling sessions. A total of 283 clients seeking individual career counseling completed the WAI-S at the end of the first session (T1). Of the 283 clients, 217 also completed the WAI-S at the end of the third session (T2). Confirmatory factor analyses were performed to assess the fit of one-factor, two-factor, three-factor, and bilevel hierarchical models. The results showed that the three-factor and the bilevel hierarchical models had the best fit to the data at both T1 and T2. The factor structure of the WAI-S was invariant across the first and the third career counseling sessions. Results suggest that researchers and clinicians can use the WAI-S knowing that it adequately measures Bordin’s theoretical model of working alliance in the specific context of individual career counseling.
The Standing Crop of Fish in Lakes

To determine whether certain environmental factors may affect standing crop, an analysis was made, primarily by regression methods, of the published estimates of standing crops of fish in lakes and ponds. Standing crop estimates derived by draining and those by poisoning appear to be equally accurate, but marking and recovery estimates may not be directly comparable with the other two. Average standing crops in river backwaters and oxbows were almost 500 pounds per acre; in midwestern reservoirs, almost 400 pounds per acre; in other reservoirs and ponds, 200 to 300; in warm-water lakes, 125 to 150; and in trout lakes, less than 50 pounds per acre.No correlation could be shown between areas of lakes or ponds and their standing crops per acre. There was a tendency for standing crop per acre to decrease with increase in maximum depth of trout lakes, of warm-water lakes, and probably of reservoirs. Significant increase in standing crop per acre with increase in carbonate content of the water was found in trou.
Annexin I stimulates insulin secretion through regulation of cytoskeleton and PKC activity

Abstract In previous studies, we found that Annexin I (Anx I) was co‐secreted with insulin in response to glucose, and that extracellular Anx I stimulated the release of insulin via the Anx I binding site in rat pancreatic islets and the β‐cell line. However, the role that Anx I plays in the insulin secretion was not established. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the insulin secretion pattern in response to Anx I and the involvement of the cytoskeleton or PKC in Anx I‐stimulated insulin secretion in MIN6N8a cells. The peak time of insulin secretion in response to Anx I treatment corresponded with the second phase insulin secretion by glucose in the perifused pseudoislets. In addition, Anx I‐stimulated insulin secretion was not affect by readily releasable pool depletion. Taken together, these findings indicate that Anx I treatment was associated with movement of the reserve pool of insulin. Furthermore, Anx I‐stimulated insulin secretion was attenuated by treatment with a microfilament inhibitor, cytochalasin B, as well as by PKC down regulation. These results indicate that Anx I may be a regulator of second phase insulin secretion.