Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why does the USA dominate university league tables?

According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the world’s top 500 universities are located in only 38 countries, with the USA alone having 157 of them. This article investigates the socioeconomic determinants of the wide performance gap between countries, and whether the USA’s dominance is largely due to its economic power. A large amount of cross-country variation in university performance can be explained by just four socioeconomic factors: income, population size, research and development spending, and the national language. Conditional on the resources that it has, the USA is actually underperforming by about 4–10%. On the contrary, an emerging economic power, China, is rising fast in the league table as well as outperforming countries with similar levels of resources.
A Study on Effects of Soil Physico-Chemical Properties on Cocoa Production in Ondo State

Cocoa is a major export crop in Nigeria with highest percentage coming from Ondo State. However, the production has dwindled in recent years. This study has examined the impacts of soil physico-chemical properties (pH, total organic carbon (TOC), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and textural nature) of different cocoa plantations within six selected communities of Ondo State, Nigeria on cocoa productivity. Results obtained showed that soils of the various locations are not significantly different from one another in terms of chemical properties but differ with decreasing soil profile. The pH, OC and CEC obtained ranged from 5.1, 0.35 – 4.30% and 2.10 – 6.05 meq/100g respectively which tended to decrease with depth. A guided fertilizer usage has been recommended to cocoa farmers to boost the productivity of the cash crop.
Static task partitioning techniques for parallel applications on heterogeneous processors

A critical factor contributing to the efficiency of execution of parallel applications on parallel computing resources is the method chosen to map and schedule the tasks of the parallel application. This problem, often referred to as the DAG scheduling problem, of statically mapping and scheduling a weighted directed acyclic graph (DAG) to a set of heterogeneous processors to minimize the completion time (makespan) has been extensively studied. It remains intractable even with severe assumptions applied to the task and machine models. This thesis tackles two challenges faced by scheduling algorithms when mapping and scheduling tasks onto heterogeneous processors: (1) the execution time of a task on heterogeneous processors is not well represented in the conventional application DAGs (2) critical-path is poorly defined in the presence of communication and such heterogeneity. We address the first challenge by adopting a better representation model for the application DAGs and the resource graphs that enable processors to be selectively faster for certain kinds of tasks. We propose, design and evaluate a simulated annealing based task mapping algorithm that exploits this representation and maps applications with task and data level parallelism onto a set of heterogeneous processors. The novelty of this algorithm lies in guiding the random search using one of the systemic parameters called temperature. We observe significant improvements, in quality of the solutions for real world benchmarks, when compared against other well established task mapping algorithms. As an additional contribution, we show that similar meta-heuristic techniques are effective for partitioning road networks for distributed simulation. In the context of the second related challenge of finding critical paths on a set of heterogeneous processors, existing solutions to calculate the critical path use mean values of computation and communication. In the presence of heterogeneity and communication costs these methods of calculating the critical path are rendered 8
Dynamic evolution of transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) ion channel family with numerous gene duplications and losses

The transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) ion channel family is involved in multiple sensory and physiological functions including thermosensing and temperature-dependent neuroendocrine regulation. The objective of the present study was to investigate the number, origin and evolution of TRPV genes in metazoans, with special focus on the impact of the vertebrate whole-genome duplications (WGD). Gene searches followed by phylogenetic and synteny analyses revealed multiple previously undescribed TRPV genes. The common ancestor of Cnidaria and Bilateria had three TRPV genes that became four in the deuterostome ancestor. Two of these were lost in the vertebrate ancestor. The remaining two genes gave rise to two TRPV subfamilies in vertebrates, consisting of subtypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 and 5, 6, 7, 8, respectively. This gene expansion resulted from the two basal vertebrate WGD events (1R and 2R) and three local duplications before the radiation of gnathostomes. TRPV1, 4 and 5 have been retained in all gnathostomes investigated, presumably reflecting important functions. TRPV7 and 8 have been lost independently in various lineages but are still retained in cyclostomes, actinistians (coelacanth), amphibians, prototherians and basal actinopterygians (Polypteridae). TRPV3 and 9 are present in extant elasmobranchs, while TRPV9 was lost in the osteichthyan ancestor and TRPV3 in the actinopterygian ancestor. The coelacanth has retained the ancestral osteichthyan repertoire of TRPV1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8. TRPV2 arose in the tetrapod ancestor. Duplications of TRPV5 occurred independently in various lineages, such as cyclostomes, chondrichthyans, anuran amphibians, sauropsids, mammals (where the duplicate is called TRPV6), and actinopterygians (Polypteridae and Esocidae). After the teleost-specific WGD (3R) only TRPV1 retained its duplicate, whereas TRPV4 and 5 remained as single genes. Both 3R-paralogs of TRPV1 were kept in some teleost species, while one paralog was lost in others. The salmonid-specific WGD (4R) duplicated TRPV1, 4, and 5 leading to six TRPV genes. The largest number was found in Xenopus tropicalis with no less than 15 TRPV genes. This study provides a comprehensive evolutionary scenario for the vertebrate TRPV family, revealing additional TRPV types and proposing a phylogeny-based classification of TRPV across metazoans.
’ s repository of research publications and other research outputs User sentiment detection : a YouTube use case Conference or Workshop Item

In this paper we propose an unsupervised lexicon-based approach to detect the sentiment polarity of user comments in YouTube. Polarity detection in social media content is challenging not only because of the existing limitations in current sentiment dictionaries but also due to the informal linguistic styles used by users. Present dictionaries fail to capture the sentiments of community-created terms. To address the challenge we adopted a data-driven approach and prepared a social media specific list of terms and phrases expressing user sentiments and opinions. Experimental evaluation shows the combinatorial approach has greater potential. Finally, we discuss many research challenges involving social media sentiment analysis.
Transgenerational genomic analyses reveal allelic oscillation and purifying selection in a gut parasite Nosema ceranae

Standing genetic variation is the predominant source acted on by selection. Organisms with high genetic diversity generally show faster responses toward environmental change. Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian parasite of honey bees, infecting midgut epithelial cells. High genetic diversity has been found in this parasite, but the mechanism for the parasite to maintain this diversity remains unclear. This study involved continuous inoculation of N. ceranae to honey bees. We found that the parasites slowly increased genetic diversity over three continuous inoculations. The number of lost single nucleotide variants (SNVs) was balanced with novel SNVs, which were mainly embedded in coding regions. Classic allele frequency oscillation was found at the regional level along the genome, and the associated genes were enriched in apoptosis regulation and ATP binding. The ratio of synonymous and non-synonymous substitution suggests a purifying selection, and our results provide novel insights into the evolutionary dynamics in microsporidian parasites.
Placement interactif de capteurs mobiles dans des environnements tridimensionnels non convexes

This Thesis proposes a novel mobile sensor placement system working in initially unknown three dimensional environment. The mobile sensors are fix sensors placed on autonomous robots, which are ground and aerial vehicles equipped with computing units. The sensor placement is based on a user-defined view, named the virtual view. This view is manipulated through a virtual sensor intrinsic and extrinsic parameters, such as its position, orientation, field of view, resolution, etc. The virtual sensor is not subject to any physical constraint, for example it can be place where no sensor could be or it possess an arbitrary large field of view and resolution. The mobile (real) sensors have to acquire the entire information contained in this virtual view. It is only by combining the sensory capacity of an unknown number of sensors that they can acquire the necessary information. First, this Thesis addresses the sensor placement problem by defining a visibility function to qualify a group of sensor configurations in the environment. This function is applicable to three dimensional environments and is based on direct line of sight principle, where we compute the sensor sampling density in its visibility region. Then, this Thesis proposes the use of an incrementally built model of the environment containing all the information needed by the objective function. Next, a cooperative optimization algorithm is put forward to simultaneously find the number of sensors and their respective position required to capture all the information in the virtual view. Finally, the proposed system is experimentally shown to use less sensor to acquire the scene of interest at a higher resolution than state of the art methods in initially known two dimensional environments. It is also shown in simulation and practice that the performance of the system can be transposed to initially unknown non-convex three dimensional environments.
Synthetic approaches to potent heterocyclic inhibitors of tuberculosis: A decade review

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a significant global health concern with about 1.5 million deaths annually. Despite efforts to develop more efficient vaccines, reliable diagnostics, and chemotherapeutics, tuberculosis has become a concern to world health due to HIV, the rapid growth of bacteria that are resistant to treatment, and the recently introduced COVID-19 pandemic. As is well known, advances in synthetic organic chemistry have historically enabled the production of important life-saving medications that have had a tremendous impact on patients’ lives and health all over the world. Small-molecule research as a novel chemical entity for a specific disease target offers in-depth knowledge and potential therapeutic targets. In this viewpoint, we concentrated on the synthesis of a number of heterocycles reported in the previous decade and the screening of their inhibitory action against diverse strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These findings offer specific details on the structure-based activity of several heterocyclic scaffolds backed by their in vitro tests as a promising class of antitubercular medicines, which will be further useful to build effective treatments to prevent this terrible illness. Graphical Abstract
Implementing the Montessori approach in an undergraduate marketing course: A case study

The objective of this case study is to offer a new perspective on innovation in higher education pedagogy by exploring how Montessori principles can be applied in an elective upper-level undergraduate marketing analytics course. Innovation in higher education is crucial for preparing students for the ever-changing challenges they will face in the workplace and in society. Montessori education offers a unique perspective for addressing many of the shortcomings identified in current approaches to undergraduate instruction. This study involved designing a course that incorporated well-established principles of Montessori education—which has demonstrated success in fostering deep learning, engagement, intrinsic motivation, and adaptability particularly among adolescents. The methodology leverages the naturalistic approach to gathering real world evidence using an inductive design based on data from instructor field notes, weekly student response submissions, and an end-of-semester student survey. In conclusion, results of the study suggest Montessori education, particularly experiential learning elements and direct connections to industry, should continue to be explored for its potential to inspire innovation in higher education. However, successfully changing the instructional paradigm requires efforts beyond a single course. Truly shaping undergraduate education for the 21st century involves broad and integrated change across departments and even universities to empower students to take control of their own learning, to be inspired and motivated by their own intrinsic values, and to expand their thinking beyond narrow expectations of textbook learning.
Insecticide resistance monitoring in field populations of Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) from central China

Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a devastating rice crop pest in China. Chemical insecticides have been used to effectively managing C. suppressalis field populations in most of China’s agricultural regions. However, due to the intensive and extensive application of these insecticides, C. suppressalis has developed widespread resistance to many active ingredients. Thus, insecticide resistance development is a genuine concern for all crop specialists and growers. In this study, using the topical application method, we assessed the susceptibility of forty-six field populations of C. suppressalis to three insecticides in three Central Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2021. Our findings revealed that field populations of C. suppressalis built moderate to high levels of resistance to triazophos (Resistance Ratio (RR) = 41.9–250.0 folds), low to moderate levels of resistance to chlorpyrifos (RR = 9.5–95.2 folds), with the exception of the Zhijiang population in 2013 and the Xinyang population in 2015 at 4.8 folds and 3.4 folds resistance rates, respectively, despite showing susceptibility, and low and moderate levels of resistance to abamectin (RR = 4.1–53.5 folds). There were significant correlations between the activity of the detoxification enzymes (CarE) and the log LD50 values of triazophos. These results should help effective insecticide resistance management strategies reduce the risk of rapid build-ups of resistance to insecticides and slow down the process of selection for insecticide resistance.
IMPACTS OF TIDAL ENERGY EXTRACTION ON SEA BED MORPHOLOGY

In this paper, the application of a 3D numerical model covering the area of Pentland Firth channel (Scotland, UK) to investigate the hydrodynamics related to tidal energy extraction is presented in detail. A full validation analysis is carried out so that the fully operational 3D hydrodynamic model could be applied with confidence in order to explore possible impacts of tidal devices on the ambient marine environment. Following that, a higher resolution hydrodynamic and morphodynamic model covering the area of Inner Sound channel, between the Island of Stroma and Scottish Mainland, favoured for tidal energy extraction inside Pentland Firth, is set up. Preliminary results indicate that the existing morphodynamics of the observed sandbank areas inside Inner Sound Channel are very dynamic. In such a dynamic environment, results imply that possible alterations in tidal currents due to energy extraction may have some implications on the existing morphodynamic regime.
BIOGEOCENOLOGY, GEOBOTANY AND PHYTOCENOLOGY

The study concerned forecasts for the dynamics of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands in the Polish Bieszczady and Ukrainian Beskydy with the use of FORKOME model іn different scenarios of climate changes. Simulation conducted in FORKOME model confirms that beech will exist in the Polish Bieszczady and Ukrainian Beskydy regions on the east boundary of beech areal. The changes in the Polish Bieszczady and Ukrainian Beskydy can be estimate as a positive for forest productivity and biomass accumulations. They were confirmed by fieldwork and events documented in the literature, which shows the reliability of the forecasts used FORKOME computer model. Work and study of this kind are necessary for rational forest management and to take appropriate development strategies.
In Silico Analysis: Annotations about Structural and Functional Features of DUF 2726 Family Member Proteins

Domains of unknown functions (DUFs) are a big set of protein families within the Pfam database that includes proteins of unknown function. In the absence of functional information, proteins are classified into different families based on conserved amino acid sequences and are potentially functionally important. In Pfam database, the numbers of families of DUFs are rapidly increasing and in current the fraction of DUF families had increased to about twenty two percent of all protein families. In this study we targeted DUF2726 member proteins which are mainly present in different bacterial species of Gamma-proteobacteria and have a particular domain organization. We analyzed the protein sequences of domain DUF2726 using different computational tools and databases. We found that this domain contains a nuclear localization signal peptide, which is conserved in Escherichia spp. and Shigella spp. It were also predicted that it has nucleic acid binding properties. Analyzing protein-protein interactions functional partners associated with DUF 2726 were revealed. Protein secondary structure, transmembrane helices structure were predicted. We have found that it has gene neighbourhood and co-occurrences with protein RepA and RepB. RepA and RepB are functionally associated with replication. RepA is a replication protein and RepB is a replication regulatory protein. Presence of a nucleic acid binding properties, a nuclear localization signal (NLS) signalling peptide, and possible interaction pattern with replication proteins, conjectures its possible role as a NLS like signalling peptide. Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 31, Number 1-2,June-Dec 2014, pp 53-58
Dissolution instability and roughening transition

We theoretically investigate the pattern formation observed when a fluid flows over a solid substrate that can dissolve or melt. We use a turbulent mixing description that includes the effect of the bed roughness. We show that the dissolution instability at the origin of the pattern is associated with an anomaly at the transition from a laminar to a turbulent hydrodynamic response with respect to the bed elevation. This anomaly, and therefore the instability, disappears when the bed becomes hydrodynamically rough, above a threshold roughness-based Reynolds number. This suggests a possible mechanism for the selection of the pattern amplitude. The most unstable wavelength scales as observed in nature on the thickness of the viscous sublayer, with a multiplicative factor that depends on the dimensionless parameters of the problem.
Coastline changes monitoring using satellite images of Makassar Coastal Areas

Coastal areas have been the target of rapid urban development in most large cities in Indonesia. Makassar City, the capital city of the South Sulawesi Province, is undeniably a fast growing city both economically and spatially. Especially the western coast of this city is rapidly growing in the form of coastal reclamation to accommodate the extension of settlement. This situation will continue in association with the social needs pursuing development to have better living conditions. As the number of population increases, industries have been triggered to provide new open areas for business and construction, and this situation inevitably demands spaces. Unfortunately the purposes of spatial planning of the city have not always been followed by the actual situations of spatial development. The coastline has changed drastically, with concentrated changes being observed along the coastline of Makassar beach such as at Tanjung Bayam and Losari Beach. In this study, we use Landsat satellite images acquired from 1990 to 2010 and Ikonos high-resolution, time-series images to monitor the coastline changes of the city. The interpretation is validated with the ground observations in survey campaigns conducted in some of the target areas. The temporal changes seen in the satellite time series are evaluated using newly developed software appropriate for raster images. The result of the present study strongly suggests that the human activity and coastal physical aspects are influencing the geomorphological changes in this city especially along the coastline of the city. This study is expected to contribute in the future city planning of Makassar when considering which areas to be developed for what purposes with better prioritization.
Automated estimation of stellar fundamental parameters from low resolution spectra: the PLS method ⁄

PLS (Partial Least Squares regression) is introduced into an automatic estimation of fundamental stellar spectral parameters. It extracts the most correlative spectral component to the parameters ( T eff , log g and [Fe/H]), and sets up a linear regression function from spectra to the corresponding parameters. Considering the properties of stellar spectra and the PLS algorithm, we present a piecewise PLS regression method for estimation of stellar parameters, which is composed of one PLS model for T eff , and seven PLS models for log g and [Fe/H] estimation. Its performance is investigated by large experiments on flux calibrated spectra and continuum normalized spectra at different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and resolutions. The results show that the piecewise PLS method is robust for spectra at the medium resolution of 0.23 nm. For low resolution 0.5 nm and 1 nm spectra, it achieves competitive results at higher SNR. Experiments using ELODIE spectra of 0.23 nm resolution illustrate that our piecewise PLS models trained with MILES spectra are efficient for O ~ G stars: for flux calibrated spectra, the systematic offsets are 3.8%, 0.14 dex, and –0.09 dex for T eff , log g and [Fe/H], with error scatters of 5.2%, 0.44 dex and 0.38 dex, respectively; for continuum normalized spectra, the systematic offsets are 3.8%, 0.12 dex, and –0.13 dex for T eff , log g and [Fe/H], with error scatters of 5.2%, 0.49 dex and 0.41 dex, respectively. The PLS method is rapid, easy to use and does not rely as strongly on the tightness of a parameter grid of templates to reach high precision as Artificial Neural Networks or minimum distance methods do.