Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Ecosystem and Addressing the Fundamental Concerns of Commercial MVNO

Recent years have witnessed the rapid growth of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which operate on top of existing cellular infrastructures of base carriers, while offering cheaper or more flexible data plans compared to those of the base carriers. In this paper, we present a two-year measurement study towards understanding various fundamental aspects of today’s MVNO ecosystem, including its architecture, customers, performance, economics, and the complex interplay with the base carrier. Our study focuses on a large commercial MVNO with one million customers, operating atop a nation-wide base carrier. Our measurements clarify several key concerns raised by MVNO customers, such as inaccurate billing and potential performance discrimination with the base carrier. We also leverage big data analytics, statistical modeling, and machine learning to address the MVNO’s key concerns with regard to data usage prediction, data plan reselling, customer churn mitigation, and billing delay reduction. Our proposed techniques can help achieve higher revenues and improved services for commercial MVNOs.
THE EFFECT OF TERMITES EXTRACT ON INHIBITION OF GROWTH OF SOME PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND SYNTHESIS OF BIOFILM

This study was aimed to extract the effective material from the dry nests of termites and detect its antibacterial activity against some pathogenic bacterial isolates and inhibit synthesis of its biofilm. Termites dry nests were collected and the effective material was extracted then the antibacterial activity was detected using the disc diffusion assay. Results were showed that the extract have antibacterial material from the Termites dry nests, this extract showed antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) at (21.5mm) and Gram negative bacteria ( Enterobacter sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) at (26 mm and 20 mm) respectively by inhibiting their growth, as well as its effect on biofilm production of pathogenic bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa revealed a significant decrease (P<0.01) in biofilm synthesis as the concentration of the extract
Innovative Design and Implementation of Jet Cooling of Large UPS Powered Systems in Nuclear Power Plant

In this article, it is imperative that an efficient and reliable cooling system is used for the large Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) panel in Nuclear Power Plant. While the UPS system can tolerate relatively high temperatures, it is advisable to keep the temperature at 25 °C or below in the room where the UPS is housed. A rule of thumb is that for every 10 °C increase in operating temperature, the expected life of the UPS components would be reduced in half. So it is absolutely necessary to maintain the temperature within the limits prescribed by the designer. The aim of this article is to devise a vastly improved cooling system by streamlining the cool air flow and targeting the hotspots of the UPS components which are particularly vulnerable to damage from high temperature. First, a computational model of the whole setup was made and then, computational fluid dynamics (fluent) technique was used to perform fluid flow and heat transfer analysis of this setup, which showed a dramatic performance increase in the heat exchange process and reduced the effective size of the UPS cabin and cost.
Genetic analysis of days to calving in Nelore beef cattle

A Nelore population data was analyzed to estimate genetic parameters for days to calving (DC) and verify the possibility of using it as a selection criterion. There were 49698 calving observations from 36196 females. Data were analyzed using a single-trait animal model. The fixed effects were contemporary groups, calf sex and age of dam at joining as a covariable. The contemporary groups were composed by farm, year, season and handling group at joining and mating type (mating group with multiple sires, mating group with one sire or artificial insemination). The inclusion of permanent environmental effect of animal did not increase the likelihood function significantly. Heritability estimate was 0.090 ± 0.006, indicating that DC is strongly influenced by the environment.
Effect of nanoparticles on the dewetting of bismuth films

We report on the effect of metallic nanoparticles on the liquid-state dewetting behaviour of bismuth films. The nanoparticles and the films were grown by thermal evaporation and subjected to annealing under ambient conditions. Dewetting was analysed by morphological studies of TEM images and by calculating the surface exposure of the films. Our results show that the addition of Ag and Au destabilizes the film, while Cu has the opposite effect. This is explained by the formation of solid solutions for Bi–Au and Bi–Ag, which lower the melting point. Cu nanoparticles stabilize the film by pinning the dewetting front. This mechanism is different from solid-state dewetting where stabilization is due to the reduction in pinhole formation at the grain and triple boundaries. This study provides insight into the role of nanoparticles on the stability of metallic films and can be extended to other low melting metallic systems.
A Fast and Accurate Frequent Directions Algorithm for Low Rank Approximation via Block Krylov Iteration

It is known that frequent directions (FD) is a popular deterministic matrix sketching technique for low rank approximation. However, FD and its randomized variants usually meet high computational cost or computational instability in dealing with large-scale datasets, which limits their use in practice. To remedy such issues, this paper aims at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of FD. Specifically, by utilizing the power of Block Krylov Iteration and count sketch techniques, we propose a fast and accurate FD algorithm dubbed as BKICS-FD. We derive the error bound of the proposed BKICS-FD and then carry out extensive numerical experiments to illustrate its superiority over several popular FD algorithms, both in terms of computational speed and accuracy.
Plants signalling to herbivores: is there a link between chemical defence and visual cues?

The use of visual cues by insect herbivores is likely to be an important component of plant-herbivore interactions in the wild, yet has until recently received little attention from researchers. In the last decade, however, interest in this topic has intensified following Hamilton & Brown’s (2001) autumn colouration hypothesis, which proposes that the intensity of colouration of trees at autumn time is a signal of their defensive commitment to potential herbivores. This idea remains controversial and to date robust empirical data linking colouration with chemical defence and herbivory have been lacking. This thesis begins with a meta-analysis, in which I synthesize and analyse previously published data to determine the evidence for the use of host plant colouration by herbivores. I then move to explore the relationship between chemical defences and colouration in a classic plant-herbivore system: the wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and its herbivores the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) and the cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae). Both species have colour vision, and I use spectral sensitivity data to model the colour of the host ‘through the eyes’ of the herbivores. First, I present data from a field study of wild cabbage populations showing significant relationships between herbivory, plant colouration and levels of glucosinolates defensive compounds. These results suggest that plant colouration could be used by herbivores to gain information about plant chemical defence. I then show colouration has a fixed genetic component in a common garden experiment; a necessary requirement for evolution of a colour signal. I explore the use of colouration in host choice by herbivores in more detail in a series of behavioural experiments. I show that cabbage aphids do not use leaf brightness as a cue when selecting among plants, but they do respond to different leaf colours. I also show that cabbage white butterflies do not choose hosts based on particular colour cues, even though this colouration potentially provides important information about host defence levels, which are shown to impact upon offspring fitness. Together, these results provide a clear demonstration of a link between plant chemistry and colouration in the wild cabbage system. However, the data presented in this thesis indicate that the use of colouration as a guide to host defence is limited, and I conclude by discussing possible reasons why this might be the case.
Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Employees With Anxiety, Depression, Social Phobia, or Insomnia: Clinical and Work Outcomes

This applied study profiled four self-directed behavioral health support tools from Learn to Live, Inc., when offered as an employee benefit. Each of these automated online programs featured eight structured lessons that emphasized cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques. Archival operational information collected across multiple employers in the United States was analyzed for 1,297 unique participants with longitudinal program use data. Significant reductions were found on validated measures of clinical symptoms specific to each program: Depression (d = 0.93, n = 268; Patient Health Questionnaire–nine-item scale [PHQ-9]), Insomnia (d = 0.69, n = 295; Medical Outcomes Study [MOS] Sleep), Social Anxiety (d = 0.53, n = 170; Social Phobia Inventory [SPIN]), and Stress, Anxiety, & Worry (d = 0.50, n = 633; Generalized Anxiety Disorders–seven-item scale [GAD-7]). Moderators of improvement included greater initial clinical severity and greater engagement in the programs (more lessons used and use of optional live support from a coach or friend/family). Follow-up survey results (n = 290) revealed high satisfaction and improved work absenteeism and job performance. Financial return to the employer from improved work productivity was estimated at US$2,431 per employee user.
Century-scale wood nitrogen isotope trajectories from an oak savanna with variable fire frequencies

Abstract. Fire frequency exerts a fundamental control on productivity and nutrient cycling in savanna ecosystems. Individual fires often increase short-term nitrogen (N) availability to plants, but repeated burning causes ecosystem N losses and can ultimately decrease soil organic matter and N availability. However, these effects remain poorly understood due to limited long-term biogeochemical data. Here, we evaluate how fire frequency and changing vegetation composition influenced wood stable N isotopes (δ15N) across space and time at one of the longest running prescribed burn experiments in the world (established in 1964). We developed multiple δ15N records across a burn frequency gradient from precisely dated Quercus macrocarpa tree rings in an oak savanna at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, Minnesota, USA. Sixteen trees were sampled across four treatment stands that varied with respect to the temporal onset of burning and burn frequency but were consistent in overstory species representation, soil characteristics, and topography. Burn frequency ranged from an unburned control stand to a high-fire-frequency stand that had burned in 4 of every 5 years during the past 55 years. Because N stocks and net N mineralization rates are currently lowest in frequently burned stands, we hypothesized that wood δ15N trajectories would decline through time in all burned stands, but at a rate proportional to the fire frequency. We found that wood δ15N records within each stand were remarkably coherent in their mean state and trend through time. A gradual decline in wood δ15N occurred in the mid-20th century in the no-, low-, and medium-fire stands, whereas there was no trend in the high-fire stand. The decline in the three stands did not systematically coincide with the onset of prescribed burning. Thus, we found limited evidence for variation in wood δ15N that could be attributed directly to long-term fire frequency in this prescribed burn experiment in temperate oak savanna. Our wood δ15N results may instead reflect decadal-scale changes in vegetation composition and abundance due to early- to mid-20th-century fire suppression.
Classifying the Metrics for Which Geodesic Flow on the Group $SO(n)$ is Algebraically Completely Integrable

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the rich interaction between the Kowalewski-Painlev\'{e} analysis, the properties of algebraic completely integrable (a.c.i.) systems, the geometry of its Laurent series solutions, and the theory of Abelian varieties. We study the classification of metrics for which geodesic flow on the group $SO(n)$ is a.c. i. For $n=3$, the geodesic flow on $SO(3)$ is always a.c. i. , and can be regarded as the Euler rigid body motion. For $n=4$, in the Adler-van Moerbeke's classification of metrics for which geodesic flow on $SO(4)$ is a.c. i. , three cases come up; two are linearly equivalent to the Clebsch and Lyapunov-Steklov cases of rigid body motion in a perfect fluid, and there is a third new case namely the Kostant-Kirillov Hamiltonian flow on the dual of $so(4)$. Finally, as was shown by Haine, for $n\geq 5$ Manakov's metrics are the only left invariant diagonal metrics on $SO(n)$ for which the geodesic flow is a.c. i.
Beyond T Staging in the Treat All Era: Capturing the Severity and Heterogeneity of Kaposi’s Sarcoma in East Africa

In the treat-all era of HIV, Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) remains one of the most incident cancers in sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of patients with KS are diagnosed at advanced disease stage in this setting. Staging systems for KS, specifically the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) system, were developed in the pre-ART era, were not meant to guide treatment, and may not fully capture the clinical heterogeneity of advanced disease. There is no international consensus on which KS patients need chemotherapy in addition to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Understanding KS severity of disease in the current era would help to inform prognosis and clarify treatment guidelines.We performed rapid case ascertainment (RCA) on people living with HIV ≥18 years old newly diagnosed with biopsy-proven KS from 2016 to 2019 at three clinic sites in Kenya and Uganda. As close as possible to time of diagnosis, we performed a structured interview, physical examination, and collection of laboratory specimens. We reported KS severity using ACTG and WHO staging criteria, as well as detailed measurements not captured in current staging systems.We enrolled 264 adults newly diagnosed with KS. RCA was performed within 1 month of KS diagnosis for 62% of patients and within 6 months for 73% of patients. Patients were 61% Kenyan, 69% male, and with a median age of 35. Median CD4 count was 239 (IQR 87 to 408), with 72% of patients initiating ART greater than 60 days prior to diagnosis. The majority of patients had advanced stage of disease, with 82% qualifying as ACTG T1 and 64% as WHO Severe/Symptomatic KS. There was marked heterogeneity within advanced KS, with 25% of patients having two ACTG qualifiers and 3% of patients had three or more ACTG qualifiers.The majority of patients with KS in this study had advanced stage disease at time of diagnosis, highlighting the need to improve early diagnosis of KS. Within this group of advanced stage patients was large clinical heterogeneity, leading to questions about whether all patients with advanced KS require the same treatment strategy.
Eletroferograma de proténas de hemolinfa de abelhas Apis mellifera L. submetidos à produção de geléia real

The objective of this research was to study the eletropherogram of the proteins of the haemolymph in Apis mellifera L. worker bees by utilizing eletroforese in polyacrylamide gel. Haemolymph samples were obtained from 18 beehives of africanized honey bees and their hybrids, italian and carniolas, which were submitted to royal jelly production, either with or without access to 20% pollen protein. Haemolymph sample from recently emerged adult bees aged, 12, 18 and 24 days was obtained. These samples were extracted by introducing a 50 μ L micropipette tip into the dorsal heart of each bee, through the intrasegmental membrane, between the third and the fourth abdomen segments. In order to inhibit the tirosinase activity, haemolymph samples were treated with three drops of fenyltio-ureia. The dosage absorbance rate of protein for each sample were determined by the use of the spectrophotometer and the biochemical biureto method. The absorbance rate was measured at 540 nm. The PhastSystem and 8-25% gradient mini polyacrylamide gels were used in the sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) technique. Five hundred ng of protein were applied to each well. After one run of the electrophoresis, the gels were stained with silver according to the manufacturus specifications. In the haemolymph of newly emerged adult bees, the electrophoresis pattern is evenly distributed among protein bands of low (60 - 80 Kd), medium (100 - 150 Kd), and high (200 - 250 Kd) molecular weight, with a total of 27 bands. With the advance of age, the haemolymph electrophoretic pattern stabilizes in protein bands of high and medium molecular weight, with a total of 15 to 17 bands. No differences among treatments were observed (P > 0.05).
Direction and magnitude of natural selection on body size differ among age‐classes of seaward‐migrating Pacific salmon

Due to the mediating role of body size in determining fitness, the “bigger‐is‐better” hypothesis still pervades evolutionary ecology despite evidence that natural selection on phenotypic traits varies in time and space. For Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus), most individual studies quantify selection across a narrow range of sizes and ages; therefore, uncertainties remain concerning how selection on size may differ among diverse life histories. Here, we quantify the direction and magnitude of natural selection on body size among age‐classes of multiple marine cohorts of O. nerka (sockeye salmon). Across four cohorts of seaward migrants, we calculated standardized selection differentials by comparing observed size distributions of out‐migrating juvenile salmon to back‐calculated smolt length from the scales of surviving, returning adults. Results reveal the magnitude of selection on size was very strong (>90th percentile compared to a database of 3,759 linear selection differentials) and consistent among years. However, the direction of selection on size consistently varied among age‐classes. Selection was positive for fish migrating to sea after two years in freshwater (age 2) and in their first year of life (age 0), but negative for fish migrating after 1 year in freshwater (age 1). The absolute magnitude of selection was negatively correlated to mean ocean‐entry timing, which may underpin negative selection favoring small age‐1 fish, given associations between size and timing of seaward migration. Collectively, these results indicate that “bigger is not always better” in terms of survival and emphasize trade‐offs that may exist between fitness components for organisms with similarly diverse migratory life histories.
Comparison of Analytical and Numerical Methods of Obtaining Coplanar Capacitance of Microelectrodes for Particulate Matter Detection

This work reports a comparative analysis between the analytical and the finite element modelling, for the calculation of the capacitance of microelectrode-based capacitors in both parallel and coplanar architecture. It shows that the inverse-cosine and the Schwartz-Christoffel methods underestimate the capacitance value of the coplanar plate capacitor. It also shows that the parallel architecture closed form solution and the finite element modelling results agree well in all cases. The work finally compares the effects of design parameter change of the microelectrodes on the capacitance obtained from each technique. It shows that finite element modelling provides the best estimate of the capacitance of a coplanar plate capacitor.
Political Activism and Polarization

I develop a model of activism and polarization in the context of electoral competition. Two candidates simultaneously announce policy platforms and seek the support of ideologically inclined activists. Activists compete to influence electoral outcomes by expending costly support for their respective candidates. The presence of activists always moderates the platform choice of candidates, compared to the case of no activism. The central finding of the paper is that the relationship between partisanship of activists and polarization is ambiguous. As activists become increasingly partisan, polarization of candidate platforms reduces or widens depending on the costs of activism. I present normative conditions under which the presence of activism and increased partisanship among activists are both welfare-improving for voters. Finally, introducing a public funding option for candidates increases polarization in the political process.
Applicability Analysis of Drought Index in Shandong Province

The frequent occurrence of drought disasters restricts the agricultural development of Shandong Province. To analyze the drought situation in Shandong Province reasonably, the selection of drought index is particularly important. In this paper, the standardized precipitation index SPI, precipitation Z index and precipitation anomaly Pa of each city in the dry years of Shandong Province were calculated, and the drought of Shandong Province was analyzed by ArcGIS software. The applicability of the three drought indices in Shandong Province was compared. The results show that: in November 2010, the SPI index was better reflected in the drought, the Z index did not show the mega-arid area, and the Pa index exaggerated the drought in some cities; in March 2011, the Z-index showed that most cities were Light drought, SPI index reflects better than the Pa index for drought; in August 2014, Pa index monitoring showed that more than half of the cities were light drought, Z index showed that most cities were moderately dry, and the SPI index monitoring results were similar to the actual drought conditions; In October 2015, the Z index showed that more than half of the cities had no drought. The monitoring results of the Pa index for some cities were opposite to the actual ones. The monitoring results of the SPI index were consistent with the actual drought conditions.