Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive User-managed Service Placement for Mobile Edge Computing: An Online Learning Approach

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), envisioned as a cloud extension, pushes cloud resource from the network core to the network edge, thereby meeting the stringent service requirements of many emerging computation-intensive mobile applications. Many existing works have focused on studying the system-wide MEC service placement issues, personalized service performance optimization yet receives much less attention. Thus, in this paper we propose a novel adaptive user-managed service placement mechanism, which jointly optimizes a user’s perceived-latency and service migration cost, weighted by user preferences. To overcome the unavailability of future information and unknown system dynamics, we formulate the dynamic service placement problem as a contextual Multi-armed Bandit (MAB) problem, and then propose a Thompson-sampling based online learning algorithm to explore the dynamic MEC environment, which further assists the user to make adaptive service placement decisions. Rigorous theoretical analysis and extensive evaluations demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed adaptive user-managed service placement mechanism.
Book Reviews

Collier, J. (1995). The virtuous organization. Business Ethics: A European Review, 4(3), 143149. Ghoshal, S. (2003, July 18). Business schools share the blame for Enron. Financial Times. Available at http://www.ft. com MacIntyre, A. (1984). After virtue: A study in moral theory (2nd ed.). Notre Dame, IL: University of Notre Dame Press. Mangham, I. L. (1995). MacIntyre and the manager. Organization, 2(2), 181-204. Parker, M. (2003). Business, ethics, and business ethics: Critical theory and negative dialectics. In M. Alvesson & H. Willmott (eds.), Critical management studies (2nd ed., pp. 197219). London: Sage. Rowlinson, M. , & Procter, S. (1999). Organizational culture and business history. Organization Studies, 20(3), 369-396. Skapinker, M. (2003, September 16). In search of a balanced society. Financial Times. Available at http://www.ft. com
Mécanismes et stratégies cellulaires de tolérance à la salinité (NaCl) chez les plantes

Le probleme de la salinite est multiple, car en plus de la toxicite des ions Na+ et Cl– (dissous dans l’eau d’irrigation ou presents dans la solution du sol) et de la perturbation de la nutrition minerale (suite aux interactions entre les ions), les plantes ont du mal a absorber l’eau du sol du fait de sa pression osmotique elevee, et cela se traduit par un stress hydrique en plus du stress salin, compliquant et alterant ainsi de facon exponentielle leur etat physiologique. Les cellules tendent par consequent a ajuster leur propre potentiel hydrique en retablissant l’homeostasie ionique cellulaire, que ce soit par la compartimentation vacuolaire des ions toxiques (Na+ et Cl–) absorbes et (ou) leur exclusion hors de la cellule. En revanche, si cela n’est pas suffisant, la plante devra utiliser un autre moyen pour faire face au stress salin, qui consiste a synthetiser et accumuler des solutes organiques osmoprotecteurs, principalement des composes amines et des sucres. Sur le plan energetique, cette strateg.
Photosynthesis, growth and development of Tabebuia avellanedae Lor. ex Griseb. (Bignoniaceae) in flooded soil

Foram estudadas as modificacoes morfo-anatomicas e ecofisiologicas que o alagamento provoca em Tabebuia avellanedae Lor. ex Griseb. (Bignoniaceae), correlacionando-as com sua capacidade de tolerar o excesso de agua no solo. Plantas com tres meses de idade, crescendo em casa de vegetacao, foram submetidas a 56 dias de alagamento e a um periodo de pos-alagamento. A taxa fotossintetica e o crescimento de T. avellanedae decresceram conforme aumentou o tempo de alagamento, mas mesmo nao sendo altamente tolerante, a especie foi capaz de se adaptar a curtos periodos de alagamento. Esta relativa tolerância provavelmente se deve a capacidade apresentada por T. avellanedae de desenvolver estruturas que amenizam os efeitos do alagamento, promovendo a difusao interna de oxigenio da parte aerea para as raizes, tais como rachaduras caulinares, raizes superficiais e lenticelas hipertrofiadas nas raizes. Como nao houve acentuada variacao na anatomia interna de folhas e raizes de T. avellanedae, alteracoes metabolicas provavelmente auxiliaram na sobrevivencia da especie durante o alagamento.
Effect of the tannoid enriched fraction of Emblica officinalis on α-crystallin chaperone activity under hyperglycemic conditions in lens organ culture

Chaperone-like activity (CLA) of α-crystallin is known to be compromised in diabetic conditions and associated with cataract formation. Protecting α-crystallin CLA may help in delaying and/or preventing cataracts. In this study, we employed a lens organ culture model to study the effect of hyperglycemia on the CLA of α-crystallin and investigated the protective effect the tannoids of Emblica officinalis had on the CLA of α-crystallin. Goat lenses were treated with 30 mM glucose with or without an aqueous extract of E. officinalis tannoids (25 or 50 μg/ml) for 12 days. Cataract development due to hyperglycemia was monitored and a lens soluble protein profile was analyzed using HPLC. α-crystallin fractions from cultured lenses were isolated by gel filtration; CLA, hydrophobicity and structural confirmation of α-crystallin were assessed using light scattering methods. Culturing the lenses with 30 mM glucose resulted in the development of cortical cataracts and the formation of high molecular weight aggregates. α-crystallin isolated from lens incubated in hyperglycemic conditions displayed a significant decrease in CLA. Co-culturing lenses with glucose and tannoids normalized the altered crystallin profile, preserved α-crystallin CLA and prevented cataract formation. This suggests that tannoids may mitigate hyperglycemia mediated manifestations to α-crystallin thereby preventing cataract formation. Tannoids of E. officinalis prevented the loss of α-crystallin CLA and cataract formation in lens organ culture. Thus, lens organ culture can be employed to investigate the pharmacological potential of compounds that modulate α-crystallin CLA and consequently delay or prevent cataractogenesis. Key words: α-Crystallin, chaperone-like activity, hyperglycemia, lens organ culture, tannoids.
Imperfect Recapture: A Potential Source of Bias in Freshwater Mussel Studies

Abstract Assessing the population status and dynamics of species is an important component of monitoring efforts aimed at improving understanding of relationships between freshwater mussels (Bivalvia:Unionidae) and their environment. Most freshwater mussel population assessments are conducted using raw count (density, abundance) or presence/absence data but relatively few studies account for potential biases associated with incomplete detection of individuals or species during sampling. We conducted a capture-mark-recapture study over 7 y to assess survival and recapture probabilities of three federally endangered freshwater mussels in a small southeastern U.S. stream. Although similar numbers of mussels were collected among sampling occasions, only a small proportion of the individuals present within the sampling site were collected on any given occasion. Mean apparent survival was 0.81 and did not vary among species or among years. Modeling results indicated that recapture probabilities varied among species, through time, and among individuals as a function of shell length. Recapture probabilities for Pleurobema pyriforme and Medionidus penicillatus increased with increased shell length, whereas recapture probabilities for Hamiota subangulata decreased with increasing shell length. Under the generally accepted assumption of constant recapture among sampling occasions, apparent survival estimates ranged from 0.89 to 0.99 among the three species and decreased for H. subangulata with increased shell length. Our study demonstrates that failure to account for incomplete recapture of freshwater mussels could bias inferences regarding the status and trajectory of mussel populations, which may in turn result in the implementation of ineffective management and conservation strategies.
Predicting weed emergence: a review of approaches and future challenges

Summary In relatively short-term studies it is often difficult to identify the factors that are important in determining the patterns of emergence for different weed species. When results from longer-term studies are averaged over years, they demonstrate that some weed species follow characteristic, and potentially predictable, patterns of annual emergence. In recent years, our understanding of the seasonal changes in dormancy and germination behaviour, and the interaction of these processes with the environment, has advanced considerably. In particular, the capacity for computer-based statistical analysis and the ability to handle large datasets has made it possible to use this information in a predictive way. Currently, there are several approaches to developing predictive weed emergence modelling. Some researchers have taken an empirical approach, seeking to identify correlations between environmental variables and observed emergence patterns. Others have taken a reductionist approach, subdividing the emergence process into its component stages of dormancy, germination and pre-emergence growth, to work towards achieving an eventual understanding of the physiological processes involved. Despite recent advances, a number of major challenges remain (e.g. population variability, dormancy and the quality of the input data) that must be overcome before these emergence models can be implemented in practice. The level of complexity and degree of parameterization incorporated within such models must also be addressed in relation to the intended use of the model.
Growth, phenological and yield responses of a bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) landrace to imposed water stress under field conditions

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc. ) is an underutilised species with potential to contribute nutritional and food security in marginal areas. Growth, phenology and yield of a local bambara groundnut landrace from Jozini, KwaZulu-Natal, characterised into three selections according to seed coat colour, namely Brown, Red and Light Brown, were evaluated under irrigated and rain-fed field conditions at Roodeplaat, Pretoria, over two seasons (2010/11 and 2011/12). Trials with three replicates were planted under rain-fed and irrigated conditions with seed colour as a subfactor. Emergence (up to 35 d after planting), plant height, leaf number, leaf area index, chlorophyll content index and stomatal conductance were measured in situ. Yield and components of yield were determined at harvest. The Red, Brown and Light Brown landrace selections emerged well (84%, 81% and 51%, respectively). Plant physiological and growth parameters of stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content index, plant height, leaf number, leaf area index and biomass accumulation were lower under rain-fed relative to irrigated conditions. Adaptations were landrace selection-specific, with the Brown and Red landrace selections showing better adaptation to rain-fed conditions. Under rain-fed conditions, bambara groundnut landrace selections flowered, senesced and matured earlier relative to irrigated conditions. Consequently, there were lower yields under rain-fed compared with irrigated conditions. The Red and Brown landrace selections may have drought-avoidance mechanisms. Seed colour may be used as a selection criterion for drought tolerance in bambara groundnut landraces.
Monitoring microbial predator-prey interactions: an experimental study using fatty acid biomarker and compound-specific stable isotope techniques

Naturally occurring microbial communities are complex, with autotrophs and heterotrophs often similarly sized and impossible to separate by conventional size fractionation approaches. However, if it was possible to identify specific compounds that are characteristic of particular groups of microbes and determine the stable isotope composition of these biomarkers, the requirement for size fractionation could potentially be negated. This work considered the usefulness of such an approach by analysis of a simple laboratory predator‐prey system comprising Nanochloropsis oculata, an autotrophic flagellate prey and Oxyrrhis marina, a heterotrophic flagellate predator. In growthgrazing experiments the fatty acids 20:5(n‐3) and 22:6(n‐3) were used as biomarkers for N. oculata and O. marina respectively. Interpretation of d 13 C values of these predator and prey fatty acid biomarkers was not straightforward since although isotopic signature of the O. marina biomarker was consistently enriched compared to that of its N. oculata prey, the magnitude of enrichment in 13 C increased with age of culture (1.0‐5.4 %). Given the variability we observed in our experimental cultures, it will be difficult to apply this approach to complex field situations without a comprehensive understanding of the factors determining the d 13 C values of specific biomarker molecules.
The movement, roaming behaviour and home range of free-roaming domestic dogs, Canis lupus familiaris, in coastal New South Wales

In this study 10 free-roaming domestic dogs from an Aboriginal community were radio-collared to determine the sizes of their home ranges and to observe their wandering behaviour. Half of the radio-tagged dogs went on wandering forays, while the other five roamed only within the vicinity of the community. Home-range size was highly variable within the study group: the mean for the wandering dogs was 927 ha whereas that of the sedentary dogs was 2.6 ha. Dogs travelled 8–30 km on forays. All forays were initiated at night and those that were recorded had an average duration of 26 h. Foray destinations were usually riparian habitats where macropod quarry were abundant.
Nutrition, ecology and nutritional ecology: toward an integrated framework

Summary 1. The science of nutritional ecology spans a wide range of fields, including ecology, nutrition, behaviour, morphology, physiology, life history and evolutionary biology. But does nutritional ecology have a unique theoretical framework and research program and thus qualify as a field of research in its own right? 2. We suggest that the distinctive feature of nutritional ecology is its integrative nature, and that the field would benefit from more attention to formalizing a theoretical and quantitative framework for developing this. 3. Such a framework, we propose, should satisfy three minimal requirements: it should be nutritionally explicit, organismally explicit, and ecologically explicit. 4. We evaluate against these criteria four existing frameworks (Optimal Foraging Theory, Classical Insect Nutritional Ecology, the Geometric Framework for nutrition, and Ecological Stoichiometry), and conclude that each needs development with respect to at least one criterion. 5. We end with an initial attempt at assessing the expansion of our own contribution, the Geometric Framework, to better satisfy the criterion of ecological explicitness.
Managing business networks and buyer-supplier relationships. How information obtained from the business network affects trust, transaction specific investments, collaboration and performance in the Dutch Potted Plant and Flower Industry

Managing networks and buyer-supplier relationships " attempt to provide scientific sound discussion for problems faced in business linkages. Business networks, supply chains and buyer-supplier relationships all refer to business linkages, from a web of connected relationships to a dyadic relationship. At the beginning of our study, we were triggered by the impact of the business network on collaborative, long-term buyer-supplier relationships. In other words, does the information a company obtains from the network support the buyer-supplier relationship? In fact, yes. Our study provides a theoretical framework and empirical evidence that will assist practitioners in the management of their business network and buyer-supplier relationships. The empirical evidence was gathered on the basis of two constructive steps, namely case study and survey. Buyers and suppliers in the Dutch potted flower and plant industry offered valuable insights to estimate statistical models. The involvement of buyers and suppliers allowed discussions from both sides of the relationship - purchasing and marketing. This thesis is aimed at managers at different levels in firms, which includes every decision maker in purchasing, selling or strategic planning levels. Policy makers and researchers in the field of supply chain and network management may also find useful ideas and concepts in our theoretical framework. Researchers in the fields of relationship management may be particularly interested in the operationalizations of the conceptual elements of the framework and the interpretation of the estimated statistical models.
Anomalous mass transfer of phosphate on coral reef flats

To estimate a maximal rate of phosphate (P) uptake into coral reef-flat communities, we introduce analogies between fluid flow in pipes and water flow over coral reef flats. On the basis of results from engineering studies of mass transfer in pipes, the best estimate of the Stanton number (St,, a dimensionless number giving the ratio of uptake rate to the rate of advection of the substance past the uptake surface) for P uptake into a sample reef flat is 5 x 10d5. Field observations yield a value of at least 1.7 x 10-3, a factor of 40 higher. This very large enhancement is due in part to wave surge but also could be due to the difference between the nature of the biotic surfaces and that of the engineering surfaces. The engineering data have been obtained for simple geometries with low ratios of wetted area to projected surface area. It is likely that much of the enhancement arises from the large ratio of wetted to projected area for the coral reef-flat community and the fractal nature of this surface. Water motion can affect growth and metabolism of some aquatic organisms, including small planktonic organisms such as phytoplankton (Gavis 1976), benthic macroalgae (Anderson and Charters 1982), seagrass (Fonseca and Kenworthy 1987), coral (Dennison and Barnes 1988), and sessile animals (Jumars and Nowell 1984). Results of some of these studies indicate that water motion influences metabolic rates by controlling the thickness of difhtsive boundary layers very near the organism surface (Wheeler 1980; Boynton et al. 198 1; Riber and Wetzel 1987). These diffusive boundary layers act as a resistance to transport of chemical species into or out of the organism. If diffusion through the diffusive boundary layer is slow compared to the rate of reaction or absorption at the surface, then diffusion will control the rate at which the organism exchanges a metabolite with the surrounding water. Large organisms are more likely to be limited by diffusion than small organisms (Munk and Riley 1952).
Region‐wide changes in marine ecosystem dynamics: state‐space models to distinguish trends from step changes

Regime shifts are sudden changes in ecosystem structure that can be detected across several ecosystem components. The concept that regime shifts are common in marine ecosystems has gained popularity in recent years. Many studies have searched for the step‐like changes in ecosystem state expected under a simple interpretation of this idea. However, other kinds of change, such as pervasive trends, have often been ignored. We assembled over 300 ecological time series from seven UK marine regions, covering two to three decades. We developed state‐space models for the first principal component of the time series in each region, a common measure of ecosystem state. Our models allowed both trends and step changes, possibly in combination. We found trends in three of seven regions and step changes in two of seven regions. Gradual and sudden changes are therefore important trajectories to consider in marine ecosystems.
Effects of (cid:1) 1D -adrenergic receptors on shedding of biologically active EGF in freshly isolated lacrimal gland epithelial cells

Effects of (cid:1) 1D -adrenergic receptors on shedding of biologically active EGF in freshly isolated lacrimal gland epithelial cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 291: C946–C956, 2006. published June 7, 2006; of EGF receptors by G protein-coupled receptors is a well-known phenomenon. This process involves the ectodomain shedding of growth factors in the EGF family by matrix metalloproteinases. However, many of these studies employ transformed and/or cultured cells that overexpress labeled growth factors. In addition, few studies have shown that EGF itself is the growth factor that is shed and is responsible for transactivation of the EGF receptor. In this study, we show that freshly isolated, nontransformed lacrimal gland acini express two of the three known (cid:1) 1 -adrenergic receptors (ARs), namely, (cid:1) 1B - and (cid:1) 1D -ARs. (cid:1) 1D -ARs mediate phenylephrine (an (cid:1) 1 -adrenergic agonist)-induced protein secretion and activation of p42/p44 MAPK, because the (cid:1) 1D -AR inhibitor BMY-7378, but not the (cid:1) 1A -AR inhibitor 5-meth-ylurapidil, inhibits these processes. Activation of p42/p44 MAPK occurs through transactivation of the EGF receptor, which is inhibited by the matrix metalloproteinase ADAM17 inhibitor TAPI-1. In addition, phenylephrine caused the shedding of EGF from freshly isolated acini into the buffer. Incubation of freshly isolated cells with conditioned buffer from cells treated with phenylephrine resulted in activation of the EGF receptor and p42/p44 MAPK. The EGF receptor inhibitor AG1478 and an EGF-neutralizing antibody blocked this activation of p42/p44 MAPK. We conclude that in freshly isolated lacrimal gland acini, (cid:1) 1 -adrenergic agonists activate the (cid:1) 1D -AR to stimulate protein secretion and the ectodomain shedding of EGF to transactivate the EGF receptor, potentially via ADAM17, which activates p42/p44 MAPK to negatively modulate protein secretion. epidermal were by of one vs. two was determined using an F -test.
Welfare of broilers: a review

Selection for fast early growth rate and feeding and management procedures which support growth have lead to various welfare problems in modern broiler strains. Problems which are directly linked to growth rate are metabolic disorders causing mortality by the Sudden Death Syndrome and ascites. Fast growth rate is generally accompanied by decreased locomotor activity and extended time spent sitting or lying. The lack of exercise is considered a main cause of leg weakness, and extreme durations of sitting on poor quality litter produces skin lesions at the breast and the legs. Management factors which slow down early growth alleviate many welfare problems. Alternatively it may be considered to use slow growing strains which do not have the above mentioned welfare problems. Since growth is a main economical factor, there are problems of acceptability of these measures in the commercial broiler production. Stocking density is a central issue of broiler welfare. It is evident, that the influence of stocking density on growth rate and leg problems acts through its influence on litter and air quality. High moisture content of the litter enhances microbial activity, which in turn leads to increase of temperature and ammonia in broiler houses, and thus, high incidence of contact dermatitis. High stocking density impedes heat transfer from the litter surface to the ventilated room. This restricts the efficacy of conventional ventilation systems in alleviating heat stress. Lighting programmes with reduced photoperiods are considered essential for the stimulation of locomotor activity and the development of a circadian rhythm in the birds. Extended dark periods, however, reduce growth when applied in the first weeks of age. Compensation occurs when the time of the production cycle is substantially increased. Various methods to enrich the environment have shown only moderate effects on the behaviour and physical conditions of broilers.