Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SAP: Subchain-Aware NFV Service Placement in Mobile Edge Cloud

Existing Network Function Virtualization (NFV) service placements that reuse already deployed network functions either reuse an entire Service Function Chain (SFC) or only individual network functions while ignoring the chain configuration cost for configuring the SFC traffic steering and ignoring the reliability of the network functions. Also, the Mobile Edge Cloud (MEC) frameworks that are required to implement an NFV service placement should ideally seamlessly cooperate with the various existing NFV Management and Orchestration (MANO) frameworks. However, the existing MEC frameworks lack multi-MANO support. We formulate the novel Subchain-Aware NFV service Placement (SAP) optimization model that accounts for the configuration cost for stitching together reused network functions to an SFC and strives to reuse existing subchains of consecutive network functions (with already deployed SFC traffic steering), while accounting for the recovery cost of network functions with limited reliability. We develop Tabu-SAP, a Tabu search approach to solve the SAP optimization problem. Furthermore, we introduce the novel Automated Provisioning framework for MEC (APMEC) with open-source OpenStack implementation to enable the deployment of Tabu-SAP in real networks; APMEC supports multiple MANOs through a loose coupling MANO-MEC design. Our Tabu-SAP evaluations indicate an around eightfold increase of the number of supported SFCs compared to the state-of-the-art reuse of individual network functions, while substantially reducing the total cost, which includes the chain configuration cost. Also, for long SFCs of seven or more network functions, the Tabu-SAP total cost is less than 10% higher than the optimal solution (which requires over ten times longer execution time).
Australian Indigenous early career researchers: unicorns, cash cows and performing monkeys

ABSTRACT Data from the Developing Indigenous Early Career Researchers (ECRs) project reported that efforts of Indigenous ECRs are often undermined by examples of micro-racism. Shared personal experiences revealed racist attitudes and assumptions held by some non-Indigenous academics. This draws critical attention to the fact that while many institutions have developed Indigenous strategies to address disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff and student’s, racism is prevelant in higher education institutions across Australia. In this study, Indigenous ECRs metaphorically described their presence in the academy as unicorns, cash cows or performing monkeys. These terms illustrate the way in which Indigenous ECR attendance in the Australian higher education sector has been viewed, devalued and/or undermined by non-Indigenous academics and the institutions in which they are employed. Specifically, the notion of behavioural racism is used to critique the level of engagement and commitment of non-Indigenous academics to the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges and worldviews.
Effectiveness of Exercise in Patients with Overweight or Obesity Suffering from Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to review the evidence about the effectiveness of exercise in patients with overweight or obesity suffering from knee osteoarthritis. Methods: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) published between January 2002 and May 2022 were included. Results: A total of 64 articles were identified, of which six met the criteria for meta-analysis. The pain scale score was higher in the control group (mean difference 0.95; confidence interval 0.42–1.47; p < 0.001; I2 = 44%). The physical function scale (lower scores indicate lower levels of symptoms or physical disability) presented a higher score in the control group (mean difference 3.74; confidence interval 0.85–6.53; p < 0.05; I2 = 56%). Moreover, the intervention group achieved a greater distance (meters) walking in a 6 min interval (mean difference 38.18; confidence interval 20.01–56.35; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%). Conclusions: Exercise interventions seem effective in improving quality of life in people with overweight or obesity suffering from knee osteoarthritis, reducing pain and improving physical function.
How does place attachment affect word-of-mouth?: Evidence from a street with emerging cafes

Abstract This study aims to reveal the relationship between place attachment, place satisfaction and word-of-mouth communication. The context of the study is a street with emerging cafes in a small city that serves as the most important alternative for locals and visitors to spend their leisure. The data obtained from 443 individuals who participated in the survey were tested through PLS-SEM. The findings indicate that place dependence, place affect, and place social bonding directly influence place satisfaction, which is an important antecedent of word-of-mouth communication. These dimensions of place attachment indirectly affect the word-of-mouth communications of individuals, whereas place identity does not have a direct or indirect effect. Within this context, indirect-only mediation and complementary mediation roles of place satisfaction were discovered. These findings are discussed within the context of the study, and both theoretical and practical contributions are introduced.
JOB SATISFACTION AS A FUNCTION OF SELF-EFFICACY AND PERSONAL STRAIN AMONG HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS IN CHITTOOR DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH STATE OF INDIA

Job satisfaction is a worker’s sense of achievement and success on the job. It is generally perceived to be directly linked to productivity as well as to personal well-being. Job satisfaction implies doing a job one enjoys, doing it well and being rewarded for one’s efforts. Job satisfaction further implies enthusiasm and happiness with one’s work. Job satisfaction is the key ingredient that leads to recognition, income, promotion and the achievement of other goals that lead to a feeling of fulfillment. Aim: Job satisfaction as a function of self-efficacy and personal strain among high school teachers in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh state of India. Objective: To assess the impact of self-efficacy and personal strain on job satisfaction among high school teachers. Sample: Sample of the present study consists of 400 primary teachers in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh State. Tools: The job satisfaction scale developed by Karanam Bahaboobuvali and Vijaya Vardhini (2013), self-efficacy scale standardized by Nelson and Copeland (2004) and personal strain questionnaire was assessed and standardized by Samuel Osipow and Spokane (1987) were used. Conclusion: Results revealed that self-efficacy and personal strain have significant impact on job satisfaction.
Identification for Control: L2 and L, Methods

Identification of restricted complexity models for linear time-invariant systems is considered. A method, with ties to model reduction and the extended instrumental variable method, which uses a cost function based on crosscorrelations between the prediction error and some auxiliary variable such as the input is presented. In open loop and under linear feedback, this method is able to asymptotically approximate the underlying system in L2 or L norm without an explicit noise model under noisy conditions. Arbitrary frequency weighting, also depending on the true frequency function, can be used. The method is applied to identification of models suited for control design. It is shown that some model free methods can be fit into this framework. It is also pointed out that closed loop stability is not taken into account in the bias tuning due to the fact that L-norms are used.
Application of the various methods for assessment of in-service degradation of pipeline steel

Abstract The paper presents the research results on assessment of in-service degradation of the 0.17 C-Mn-Si steel of gas transit pipeline operated for 36 years. High degradation degree of the operated steel was manifested in a significant decrease in plasticity characteristics, impact toughness and resistance to stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement compared to the as-delivered steel. The tests carried out using the low stress method revealed significant changes in elastic hysteresis, elasticity modulus and relative residual deformation of the steel depending on its state (as-delivered and post-operated ones), demonstrated to be highly sensitive to assess in-service degradation degree of pipeline steels.
Diabetes Affects the Relationship between Heart Rate Variability and Arterial Stiffness in a Gender-Specific Manner

Background and Aims: Heart rate variability (HRV), i.e., the beat-by-beat fluctuations in heart rate (HR) reflecting the autonomic nervous system balance, is altered in patients with diabetes. This has been associated with arterial aging (stiffer arteries) and differs in men and women. The present study hypothesized that the impact of HRV on arterial aging, indexed as carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), differs in a gender-specific manner and is affected by diabetes mellitus. Method: A total of 422 outpatients (187 women and 235 men) were studied. PWV was measured using the validated SphygmoCor device (AtCor Medical). Time-domain and frequency-domain parameters were measured to assess HRV. Results: The prevalence of diabetes was 30.8% with a slight, but nonsignificant, greater prevalence in men. Both age and SBP were independent determinants of PWV in each of the four groups (men and women with or without diabetes). Low-frequency activity was inversely correlated with PWV. It was greater in women without diabetes, but it was not significant in men regardless of the presence of diabetes. Conclusions: Beyond age, blood pressure, and diabetes, impaired cardiac autonomic function assessed by determination of HRV was significantly associated with arterial aging. The association between lower sympathetic and parasympathetic activity and stiffer arteries was significant in women, but not in men.
RGS1 serves as an antitumor target to inhibit proliferation of NICN87-DR cells and tumor growth in the gastric cancer mouse model

Gastric cancer is becoming the 4th leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of RGS1 in gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo. Proliferation, migration, invasion, and colony formation of NCIN87 cells and drug-resistant NCIN87 cells (NCIN87-DR) were determined. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were examined using a flow cytometry assay. RGS1 gene knock-down vector (pLVshshRGS1) and Xenograft tumor mouse model was generated. RGS1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated markers, including E-cadherin (E-cad), N-cadherin (N-cad), Slug, and Vimentin were detected using a western blotting assay. Tumor size of Xenograft tumor mouse was measured and Ki67 expression was detected using the immunohistochemical assay. NCIN87-DR cells demonstrated significantly lower proliferation, migration, and invasion compared to those of NCIN87 cells (p < 0.05). NCIN87-DR cells showed obvious early apoptosis and displayed obvious alterations for the cell cycle. NCIN87-DR cells exhibited predominantly higher RGS1 expression than that in NCIN87 cells (p < 0.01). E-cad expression was markedly decreased (p < 0.01) and N-cad (p < 0.05), Slug (p < 0.01), Vimentin (p < 0.05) expressions were significantly increased in NCIN87-DR cells than those in NCIN87 cells. RGS1 gene silence remarkably reduced NCIN87-DR proliferation compared to that in NCIN87-DR cells without treatment (p < 0.01). RGS1 gene-silenced NCIN87-DR cell immunization predominantly inhibited tumor growth in Xenograft tumor mouse than that without RGS1 silence (p < 0.05). RGS1 gene-silenced NCIN87-DR cell immunization significantly downregulated Ki67 expression in tumor tissues compared with that without RGS1 silence. In conclusion, RGS1 gene silence reduced the proliferation of NCIN87-DR cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Therefore, RGS1 served as an antitumor target for the gastric cancer treatment.
Identification of the to-be-improved product features based on online reviews for product redesign

Acquisition of customer needs usually serves as the basis for the identification of to-be-improved features for the product redesign process. However, the customer's true needs tend to be non-obvious and are difficult to extract from the data source like interviews or market survey. In the era of Big Data, with the advances in e-commerce, the customer's online review has become one of the most important data source to reveal the insight of customer's preference. In this paper, an online-review-based approach is introduced to identify the to-be-improved product features. The product features and corresponding opinions are extracted and reduced based on the semantic similarity. A structured preference model based on the semantic orientation analysis is constructed. A redesign index is subsequently introduced to measure the priority of redesign for each feature, and a target feature selection model is created to identify the to-be-improved features from candidate features considering engineering cost, redesign lead time and technical risk. A case study for smartphones is developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed approach. In the future study, the online reviews may be combined with the traditional survey data to provide a more effective and reliable identification on the to-be-improved product features.
Free-Surface Turbulent Shear Flows

The structure and dynamics of turbulent wakes and shear layers in the presence of a clean free surface have been investigated experimentally using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV). The purpose of this study was to determine the extent and characteristics of the influence, if any, of the free surface on these underlying turbulent shear flows. The free surface was found to affect the dynamics of turbulence within a surface layer on the order of one half-width of the submerged wake and one half of the local vorticity thickness of the submerged shear layer. Within this layer, the vertical velocity fluctuations are inhibited and the turbulence kinetic energy is redistributed to the horizontal components. The self-induced motion of surface-parallel vortical structures under the influence of their images was shown to lead to large-scale mean streamwise secondary flows and associated outward surface currents-symmetric for the wake and asymmetric for the shear layer. This motion was the origin of the significantly higher lateral spreading rates of these surface shear flows compared to the spreading rates of their fully-submerged counterparts — 20% and 25% for the wake and shear layer respectively. In addition, the evolution of the streamwise and surface-normal enstrophy components within the surface layer was consistent with the normal connection of vortical structures required at a free surface. The influence of the secondary flows was tracked back to the splitter plate's turbulent boundary layers where they were hence deduced to originate. A simple analysis of the mixed-boundary corner flows of the splitter plate made using the mean streamwise vorticity equation coupled with the evolution of the values of the transverse velocity confirmed the latter. In this picture of the mean flow, the secondary flows present in the near-surface edges of these shear flows were related to the pair of outer secondary vortices generated thereby. Furthermore, using a simplified equation for the surface-normal Reynolds stress, it was shown that the mutual interaction of the surface-parallel vortical structures with their images yielded a decrease in vertical velocity fluctuations as the free surface was approached. This equation shed further light on the redistribution of the vertical kinetic energy of turbulence into the other two Reynolds normal stresses. The resulting free-surface Reynolds-stress anisotropy in turn gave birth to the two streamwise secondary flows.
A Latent Class Regression Approach to IT Maintenance Outsourcing Service Management

Although information technology (IT) maintenance outsourcing is widely used by today's organizations to improve IT productivity, client satisfaction of IT outsourcing service differs among various clusters of service incidents. Using a dataset collected from a leading Chinese steel group, this paper investigates how client satisfaction in IT maintenance outsourcing varies with service time and user involvement by means of a latent class regression (LCR) approach. Distinguished from traditional clustering and regression methods, the LCR approach can simultaneously classify reported incidents into multiple clusters based on incident attributes and examine the influences of service time and user involvement, together with the latent number of class on client satisfaction in each cluster. Our results identify four incident clusters within which influences of service time and user involvement on client satisfaction differ. Thus, we provide empirical evidence of heterogeneity in information system maintenance outsourcing incidents.
Phytoremediation of Primary Sewage in Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands

The study examined the performance of pilot scale vertical flow constructed wetland in phytoremediation of primary sewage lagoon effluent generated from a tertiary institution. The experimental layout consists of four units, with each unit composed of three cells connected in series. Three of the units were vegetated while non-vegetated units serve as control. The cells are rectangular plastic beds of 1.2m x, 0.9m x 0.4m. Treatment areas were packed with gravel of 40, 10 - 25 and 2-10mm diameter respectively. Three cells were each planted with Rhynchospora corymbosa (RC) and, Coix lacryma-jobi (CL) while the third cell contains a mixture of the two plants. The fourth cell was left unplanted and serves as a control. All the cells were operated at hydraulic retention times of 4, 7, and 10 days. High reduction of COD, NH3, NH3-N and NH4 were observed in all the units. The unit with the lowest removal efficiency for these parameters was the control thus demonstrating the effectiveness of phytoremediation. Removal efficiency for the parameters considered range from 40 to 50% for RC and 50 - 53% for Coix. A TSS influent concentration of 6800 mg/1 was reduced by 86.1% to 268 mg/1 for HRT of 7 days and a further reduction of 96.3% for HRT of 10 days. Treatment efficiency as high as 76 to 100% was observed with increase in HRT from 4 to 10 days, for particulate phosphorus, PO4, NH4-N, NH4 and COD. The removal rate for most parameters increased with longer HRT. Results indicate that the combination of the two plants in the same reactor was not as effective as single plant in individual cells. Rhynchospora corymbosa and Coix lacryma-jobi plants reduced the pollutants in sewage, hence these could be effectively used in wetlands for the treatment of primary sewage.
Evidence-driven model for implementing Blockchain in food supply chains

ABSTRACT Blockchain technology has been identified as a possible solution to address critical challenges faced by the food sector. Building on the potential of Blockchain within Food Supply Chains (FSC), this study aims to develop an evidence-based implementation model for Blockchain in the food industry. Innovation Adoption and other prominent theories are integrated to first develop a conceptual framework, which is later validated following an analysis of the qualitative data. Fifteen semi-structured expert interviews are used to develop an evidence-driven, applied model for implementing Blockchain; providing detailed insights into typical stages, associated activities, and contextual determinants needed for successful integration. An empirically validated implementation model advances the extant academic literature and further provides a detailed roadmap for food practitioners, while initiating Blockchain projects with their firms and/or supply chains.
BMI is not independently associated with coronary artery calcification in a large single‐center CT cohort

Obesity is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality. However, previous reports showed a paradoxical protective effect in patients with known CVD referred as “obesity paradox”. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association of body mass index (BMI) with coronary artery calcification (CAC) in a large outpatient cardiac CT cohort.
Comparative Mitogenomic Analyses of Hydropsychidae Revealing the Novel Rearrangement of Protein-Coding Gene and tRNA (Trichoptera: Annulipalpia)

Simple Summary The evolution of insect mitochondrial gene rearrangement is a hot topic, and such rearrangements are common in certain insect orders. Gene rearrangement characteristics can also provide effective information for phylogenetic reconstruction. As one of the most diverse families within Annulipalpia, Hydropsychidae Curtis, 1835 is distributed on all continents except Antarctica. Here, we generated 19 novel mitogenomes of hydropsychid species, and found two new mitochondrial gene rearrangements. Coupled with published mitogenomes of Hydropsychidae, we analyzed the main features of the mitogenomes among subfamilies and the possible evolution processes. The rearrangement of protein-coding genes is reported in the Hydropsychidae for the first time, and it can be explained by the tandem duplication/random loss model. Phylogenetic analyses show that the four monophyletic subfamilies (Arctopscychinae, Diplectroninae, Hydropsychinae, Macronematinae) were strongly supported by mitogenomes. Abstract Gene rearrangement of the mitochondrial genome of insects, especially the rearrangement of protein-coding genes, has long been a hot topic for entomologists. Although mitochondrial gene rearrangement is common within Annulipalpia, protein-coding gene rearrangement is relatively rare. As the largest family in Annulipalpia, the available mitogenomes from Hydropsychidae Curtis, 1835 are scarce, and thus restrict our interpretation of the mitogenome characteristic. In this study, we obtained 19 novel mitogenomes of Hydropsychidae, of which the mitogenomes of the genus Arctopsyche are published for the first time. Coupled with published hydropsychid mitogenome, we analyzed the nucleotide composition evolutionary rates and gene rearrangements of the mitogenomes among subfamilies. As a result, we found two novel gene rearrangement patterns within Hydropsychidae, including rearrangement of protein-coding genes. Meanwhile, our results consider that the protein-coding gene arrangement of Potamyia can be interpreted by the tandem duplication/random loss (TDRL) model. In addition, the phylogenetic relationships within Hydropsychidae constructed by two strategies (Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood) strongly support the monophyly of Arctopscychinae, Diplectroninae, Hydropsychinae, and Macronematinae. Our study provides new insights into the mechanisms and patterns of mitogenome rearrangements in Hydropsychidae.