Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An efficient virtualized network function deployment scheme for service function chain using deep Q‐network

Virtualized network functions (VNFs) are virtualized network services running on the network functions virtualization infrastructure in order to replace physical hardware. Integrating with software defined networking and network functions virtualization, internet service providers (ISPs) can chain VNFs together, called service function chain (SFC), to provide various network service demands with virtual links. Many studies have proposed for the VNFs deployment under different objectives, for example, energy, delay, quality of service (QoS), and quality of experience (QoE). From the aspects of both ISPs and customers, both energy consumption and QoE are the primary concerns for the purpose of operating expense reduction and users' satisfaction. This paper proposes a QoS/QoE/energy‐aware deep Q‐network (DQN)‐based scheme, called DQN‐QQE for VNFs deployment under the consideration of both energy consumption and QoE requirement with QoS constraints. The reward of the proposed scheme is formulated by the Weber‐Fechner law and the exponential interdependency of QoE and QoS (IQX) hypothesis. Afterwards, we compared the proposed DQN‐QQE to the QoS/QoE‐aware approach DQN‐Q2‐SFC, brute force, and randomness in terms of energy, QoE, error rate, and processing time. The simulation results revealed that DQN‐QQE is more stable and is better than DQN‐Q2‐SFC and randomness approach in terms of energy, QoE, and error rate. The average processing time and energy consumption of the proposed DQN‐QQE was 43% and 11% less than DQN‐Q2‐SFC, respectively. Although brute force approach is better than others in terms of energy, QoE, and error rate, the processing time of brute force approach is nearly 20 times larger than the proposed DQN‐QQE.
Evaluation of the Mucoadhesive Properties of Chitosan-Based Microstructured Lipid Carrier (CH-MLC)

Different mucoadhesive systems have been studied in recent years to increase the residence time of the delivery systems and to prolong the release of the drug. The aim of this work was to evaluate the mucoadhesive properties of chitosan-based Microstructured Lipid Carrier (CH-MLC) with a new approach which requires chitosan and mucin to be compacted into a tablet and mucoadhesion to be assessed on a non-mucoadhesive substrate. This type of test showed that chitosan maintains a close bond with mucin even in the presence of a fluid and even encapsulated in microparticles. After this, using a bioreactor, the release of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) from the microparticles (NA-CH-MLC) through a layer of mucus mimicking the pathological conditions of a patient with cystic fibrosis was tested. The release of the active from NAC-CH-MLC demonstrated how the chitosan inside the microparticles acts as a penetration enhancer and how the microparticles can impart a prolonged release over time.
Co-inquiry in agroecology research with farmers: transdisciplinary co-creation of contextualized and actionable knowledge

ABSTRACT The transformative claim of agroecology research draws on transdisciplinarity and participatory action research to operationalize horizontal learning and experimentation for knowledge co-creation and change in action. Drawbacks to recent research strategies in this field are lack of action orientation, and limited roles and low level of control attributed to farmers, particularly in defining scope and methods for collaboration and joint experimentation. In response, in this article we conceptualize a co-inquiry approach for agroecology research adopted from participatory action research and explore its operationalization and outcomes with a group of organic horticultural farmers in Argentina. We assess how co-inquiry considers farmers’ experience in the knowledge co-creation process to achieve contextualized research questions and actionable results, and reflect on potentials and constraints of extended roles attributed to farmers and their increased control over inquiry process and contents. We found that co-inquiry facilitates extended roles of farmers as co-researchers and thereby encourages horizontal learning based on systems thinking, through a joint explorative assessment of the systems operators’ purposes, context, and experience, and through joint choice of methodology, experimentation and reflection.
Lipocalin, Resistin and Gut Microbiota-Derived Propionate Could Be Used to Predict Metabolic Bariatric Surgery Selected Outcomes

Many patients with clinically severe obesity (CSO) need to undergo bariatric surgery, with possible side effects, so individualized predictive methods are required. Adipocytokines and gut/intestinal microbiota-derived metabolites could be predictive biomarkers of metabolic success post- surgery, but the knowledge in this field is undefined. The objective of this work was to determine whether adipocytokines and microbiota-derived metabolites can be used to predict the metabolic improvement post- surgery in women with CSO. We analyzed circulating levels of some cytokines and some microbiota-derived metabolites at baseline and 12 months post-surgery from 44 women with CSO and 21 women with normal weight. Results showed that glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and triglycerides levels were decreased post-surgery, while high density lipoprotein increased. Twelve months later, leptin, resistin, lipocalin, PAI-1, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels were lower than baseline, meanwhile adiponectin, IL-8, and IL-10 levels were increased. Moreover, baseline lipocalin levels were associated with HbA1c reduction post-surgery; meanwhile baseline resistin was related to postoperative HOMA2 (insulin resistance) and baseline propionate was associated with LDL-C decrease. To conclude, the detection of lipocalin, resistin, and propionate levels may be used to predict the metabolic success following bariatric surgery, although new knowledge is needed.
Antenna Applicator for Microwave Hyperthermia Treatment of Pediatric Brain Cancer

A novel antenna applicator for microwave hyperthermia allowing treatment of deep brain tumors is proposed. The applicator consists of up to 16 antennas placed around the head in a helmet-like set-up and operates at a frequency range of 430-1000~MHz. The self-grounded bow-tie antennas are housed in a molded plastic enclosure with the shape of a truncated cone. The inner space of the enclosure is filled with distilled water. The antennas are attached to a perimetric water bolus with a thickness of 2 cm and aligned with the head shape. The focusing ability of the applicator was investigated on a homogeneous SAM model and on a model of a 13-year old patient containing a spherical tumor of 2 cm radius. Two different tumor positions were investigated: the right frontal lobe and the central brain. The obtained SAR distributions are favorable, although a relatively high level of energy is also absorbed on the surface of the body. This heating is however not expected to cause problems as it can be cooled by blood perfusion and water bolus. Our results show that focused microwave heating in the brain is feasible and warrants further verification on phantoms.
Examining impulsivity and risky decision making among school youth in balloon analogue risk task

Background Impulsivity trait as a risk factor which typically displayed in risk decision among school youth. This study aims to examine behavioral and cognitive problems of risky decision among Chinese young people aged 15–25 years. The balloon analogue risk task (BART) and event-related potential (ERP) were combine used to explore the neural mechanism of risky decision process whether infected by impulsivity trait. Methods A total of 31 subjects were included, including 16 experimental subjects with risk behavior (RS), and 15 health control subjects with non-risk behavior (HC). BART were used to measure risk-taking propensity and ERP were to record in real time. RS vs. HC were compared to explain the relationship between impulsivity and risky decision. Results Behavioral data in BART task shown that the RS subjects tended to make risky decisions. ERP results illustrate that P300 in RS subjects is more significant positive-going than HC that means dysfunction of cognitive control, and FRN in RS subjects is more negative-going than HC in negative feedback condition, which means individual with high impulsive would be more sensitive to unexpected outcome. Conclusions Impulsiveness is a risk factor for school adolescent, because RS subjects performed more risky decision than control group, the evidence indicate that individual with high impulsiveness would lead to be less sensitive to harmful consequences and more inclination to immediate rewards. Therefore, the inclination of risk taking can be powerfully informed by different levels of impulsiveness.
Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Encouraging Serendipity in Interactive Systems

We regularly make serendipitous connections in both online and offline contexts – from stumbling upon a useful website when searching for something completely different to meeting someone with mutual research or business interests in an unlikely place. These serendipitous connections are an important part of our work and personal lives. However, few existing interactive systems provide a fertile environment for serendipity to occur. This workshop explains the importance of studying serendipity in interactive systems and highlights several research challenges related to understanding serendipity and designing and evaluating interactive systems based on this understanding.
Research on intelligent diagnostic techniques for rolling bearings based on unbalanced data sets

In this paper, based on the combination of comprehensive sampling and one-dimensional convolutional neural network, a bearing fault intelligent diagnosis technique is proposed for the classification of rolling bearing vibration data. At first, the fault data set is expanded by ADASYN method. Then, the data is cleaned up by Tomek link under sampling technique, the risk of overfitting caused by overlap of different classes is reduced and the data of different categories is more apparent, and finally the normal data set and fault data set after comprehensive sampling are classified by one-dimensional convolutional neural network algorithm. Compared with random forests and support vector machines, the results show that the method has a high accuracy in identifying classifications and can effectively solve the classification problem of unbalanced bearing data.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF A ONE DIMENSIONAL DIFFUSION EQUATION FOR A SINGLE CHAMBER MICROBIAL FUEL CELL USING A LINKED SIMULATION OPTIMIZATION (LSO) TECHNIQUE

Renewable energy (RE) applications are becoming a popular means of power generation within our society. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a new form of renewable energy by converting organic matter into electricity by using bacteria already present in wastewater while simultaneously treating the wastewater. Increase in MFC power density by oxygen sparging can be accomplished by aerating the MFC chamber to assure sufficient reaction rates at the cathode. This study’s numerical analysis includes the development and verification of FORTRAN computer code necessary to solve a one dimensional Diffusion Equation to model oxygen in a single chamber MFC. A rigorous verification of the effects of spatial and temporal discretization of the simulation model coupled to the LSO using a Modular InCore Nonlinear Optimization System (MINOS) FORTRAN computer code was performed. Implicit Finite Difference numerical methods were found to require a substantialy larger nodal value to that of the Galerkin Finite Element approximation nodal value discretization to obtain a similar amount of error of 0.005 from the analytical solution. The cost of oxygen sparging was found to decreased substantially by a nodal discretization of 20 to 80 nodes. A realistic oxygen sparging schedules was developed by the use of 70 to 80 nodal values in a FE linear numerical method utilizing the LSO methodology. Advanced Numerical Methods Zielke ii
The Effect of Experience on Anxiety in Food Safety Incidents—An Empirical Study on Infant Formula Safety Incidents in China

Infant formula incidents have endangered the dietary safety and healthy growth of infants and young children and are triggers of the public’s negative emotions, attracting widespread public attention. The aim of this research was to explore how perceived knowledge gap, risk perception, past actual risk experience, and media risk experience affect anxiety. The research data obtained from 506 respondents were divided into groups with actual risk experience and without actual risk experience. Then, PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data. The results show that risk perception mediated the relationship between perceived knowledge gap and anxiety. Specifically, for the group with actual risk experience, perceived knowledge gap had a significant direct impact on anxiety; however, there was no moderation effect of media experience on the relationship between perceived knowledge gap and risk perception. For the group without actual risk experience, perceived knowledge gap had no direct effect on anxiety, and media experience had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between perceived knowledge gap and risk perception. The results suggest that in infant formula safety incidents, actual risk experience and media risk experience have different influence mechanisms on anxiety. Actual risk experience will directly and intuitively bridge the relationship between perceived knowledge gap and anxiety. Meanwhile, groups without actual risk experience tend to be influenced by rational risk judgment, and this process is moderated by media risk experience.
The NAC-like transcription factor CsNAC7 positively regulates the caffeine biosynthesis-related gene yhNMT1 in Camellia sinensis

Abstract Caffeine is an important functional substance and is abundant in tea plant, but little is known about how its biosynthesis is regulated by transcription factors. In this study, the NAC-like transcription factor-encoding gene CsNAC7, which is involved in caffeine synthesis, was isolated from a Yinghong 9 cDNA library using a yeast one-hybrid assay; this gene comprises 1371 bp nucleotides and is predicted to encode 456 amino acids. The expression of CsNAC7 at the transcriptional level in tea shoots shared a similar pattern with that of the caffeine synthase gene yhNMT1 in the spring and summer, and its expressed protein was localized in the nucleus. Assays of gene activity showed that CsNAC7 has self-activation activity in yeast, that the active region is at the N-terminus, and that the transient expression of CsNAC7 could significantly promote the expression of yhNMT1 in tobacco leaves. In addition, overexpression or silencing of CsNAC7 significantly increased or decreased the expression of yhNMT1 and the accumulation of caffeine in transgenic tea calli, respectively. Our data suggest that the isolated transcription factor CsNAC7 positively regulates the caffeine synthase gene yhNMT1 and promotes caffeine accumulation in tea plant.
THE HUMAN DIMENSION IN INTELLIGENT LIVING ENVIRONMENT

Due to the rapid aging of the Dutch population and aging-in-place policies, an increasing demand for suitable dwellings focused on the human dimension of construction is to be expected. This global issue of aging in place is a wakeup call for us architects to move towards constructions that empower this active aging. A significant contribution can be provided by “Domotics”; which is defined as the advanced technological equipments and services in the domestic environment to sustain and to enhance the quality of aging in place as well as empowerment of the senior citizen (in daily life). This paper is based on literature review, qualitative and quantitative studies i) it seeks to inform the development of domotics technology in the living environment of the older adults; ii) it provides an overview of the multiplicity of needs and attitudes of the older citizens in regards to smart technology in the domestic environment; iii) and develops recommendations to incorporate domotics in the architectural structure of the dwelling keeping the Human factor in mind. This study on senior citizens’ needs and attitudes toward domotics is based upon a triangulation of cohort-group discussions, enabling techniques and in-depth interviews followed by a postal questionnaire survey. The findings indicate that needs, perceptions, environmental and personal attributes of the seniors determine their attitudes towards automation. This attitude can be described as ‘critical/positive’. Too much automation, where little or no consideration is put towards the user’s needs, is regarded as undesirable. Ethical considerations are particularly related to, professional stakeholders, especially caregivers, whereas seniors are mainly interested in the functionality of domotics. The integration and domestication of domotics in a house needs to be a synthesis of the user’s needs, technology, the living environment, services and healthcare.To enable aging in place and the acceptance of (care through) domotics we need, i) to familiarize inhabitants with smart technology, ii) to domesticate and personalize it, iii) as well as to (imperceptibly) apply need-based technology in the (pre-existing) homes.
Toward more effective grade-crossing flashing lights

Pairs of alternately flashing, red incandescent lamps have been the primary motorist warning device at grade crossings for several decades. Although significant evolutionary improvements have occurred, basic constraints (on power consumption, in particular) have limited the total effectiveness normally found. Tightly focused beams, which are necessary to obtain high intensity at low power levels, make perceived brightness highly dependent on both motorist position and precise alignment, which is difficult and expensive to maintain. Examination of appropriate literature and existing standards has made possible delineation of functional specifications and desirable characteristics of motorist warnings for use at grade crossings. Significant improvement is possible through the use of xenon flash lamps in standard crossing mountings, in place of or in concert with conventional lights. The short-duration flash of the xenon unit appears to offer a warning of markedly greater effectiveness. This result is obtainable with little deviation from the basic framework of applicable standards, motorist familiarity, and conventional equipment. This paper includes discussion of optimal specifications, relevant technology, compatibility with existing systems, and field tests.
From Critique to Computational Thinking: A Peer-Assessment-Supported Problem Identification, Flow Definition, Coding, and Testing Approach for Computer Programming Instruction

Scholars believe that computational thinking is one of the essential competencies of the 21st century and computer programming courses have been recognized as a potential means of fostering students’ computational thinking. In tradition instruction, PFCT (problem identification, flow definition, coding, and testing) is a commonly adopted procedure to guide students to learn and practice computer programming. However, without further guidance, students might focus on learning the syntax of computer programming language rather than the concept of solving problems. This study proposes a peer-assessment-supported PFCT (PA-PFCT) approach for boosting students’ computer programming knowledge and computational thinking awareness. A quasi-experiment was conducted on a computer programming course in a high school to evaluate its influence on students’ learning achievement, computational thinking awareness, learning motivation, and self-efficacy. An experimental group of 51 students learned with the proposed approach, while a control group of 49 students learned with the traditional PFCT (T-PFCT) approach. The experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly enhanced the students’ computational thinking awareness, learning motivation, and self-efficacy, while not having significant impacts on their computer programming knowledge test scores.
RNA interference-based characterization of Caspar, DREDD and FADD genes in immune signaling pathways of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

We previously demonstrated that two immune signaling pathways, Toll and IMD, were concomitantly activated in the model beetle Tribolium castaneum by challenges to their immune system by several species of microbes, including Gram-positive and -negative bacteria as well as yeast. This contrasts with the Drosophila immune system in which more specifi c pathway activation depending on the type of microbe is well established. We suggest that the activation of an indiscriminate immune pathway in T. castaneum is due in part to an unselective recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns by the extracellular sensing modules of the two pathways. In order to obtain a more detailed understanding of the T. castaneum immune pathway, we investigated whether potential components of the T. castaneum IMD pathway, Caspar, DREDD and FADD, are involved in immune reactions triggered by microbial challenges. A sequence analysis of these three genes with the orthologues of other species, including insects, mouse and human, indicated that T. castaneum Caspar, DREDD and FADD functioned as immune signal transducers, which are usually induced by microbial challenges. However, these genes were not induced by microbial challenges. To establish whether these genes are involved in immune reactions, we used RNA interference-mediated knockdown of these genes to assess the microbial induction levels of the representative read-out antimicrobial peptide genes of the respective classes. The results indicated that these genes encode the canonical constituents of the IMD pathway of this beetle. DREDD and FADD infl uenced the induction of Toll-dependent antimicrobial peptide genes, providing novel crosstalk points between the two immune pathways, which appears to support indiscriminate pathway activation in T. castaneum. Furthermore, the phenotypes of DREDD or FADD knockdown pupae challenged by the two model bacterial pathogens correlated with AMP gene induction in the respective knockdowns, indicating that these intracellular factors contributed to antibacterial host defenses. * These authors equally contributed. INTRODUCTION The insect immune system is solely composed of innate immune reactions that utilize germ line-encoded receptors to detect the invasion of several distinct pathogens (Hultmark, 2003; Ferrandon et al., 2007; Lemaitre & Hoffmann, 2007). When recognized, invading pathogens are attacked by a battery of innate immune responses. Insect immune responses as well as vertebrate immune responses may be conveniently divided into cellular and humoral immunities, the latter of which involves the systemic and robust production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as a major and well-characterized response. Intensive studies on the model organism Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen) over the past two decades have delineated the paths and facEur. J. Entomol. 119: 23–35, 2022 doi: 10.14411/eje.2022. 003