Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Edge loading in metal-on-metal hips: low clearance is a new risk factor

The revision rate of large head metal-on-metal and resurfacing hips are significantly higher than conventional total hip replacements. The revision of these components has been linked to high wear caused by edge loading; which occurs when the head–cup contact patch extends over the cup rim. There are two current explanations for this; first, there is loss of entrainment of synovial fluid resulting in breakdown of the lubricating film and second, edge loading results in a large local increase in contact pressure and consequent film thickness reduction at the cup rim, which causes an increase in wear. This paper develops a method to calculate the distance between the joint reaction force vector and the cup rim – the contact patch centre to rim (CPCR) distance. However, the critical distance for the risk of edge loading is the distance from the contact patch edge to rim (CPER) distance. An analysis of explanted hip components, divided into edge worn and non-edge-worn components showed that there was no statistical difference in CPCR values, but the CPER value was significantly lower for edge worn hips. Low clearance hips, which have a more conformal contact, have a larger diameter contact patch and thus are more at risk of edge loading for similarly positioned hips.
Efficiency of stress-strain models of confined concrete with and without steel jacketing to reproduce experimental results

The improvement and the capacity assessment of existing buildings has become the main topic of the last years so that different studies can be found devoted to damaged structures or structures not having a capacity compatible with the safety levels of the actual codes. Reinforced concrete framed structure buildings represent a conspicuous rate of the existing constructions so many efforts are addressed to them. Referring to this type of buildings, a good prediction of strength and deformation capacity requests models able to interpret the constitutive law of concrete confined by internal reinforcement or by eventual external reinforcement applied to increase capacity of cross-sections. Considering that one of the techniques much diffused for the improvement of the capacity of reinforced concrete members is the steel jacketing by the combined system of angles and battens, models able to predict the real contribution of this kind of intervention are desirable. In this connection the paper discusses the different confined concrete models available in the literature, analyzing all the characteristics and comparing the σ-ε constitutive laws for different type of RC cross sections. Also, an experimental campaign aimed to the validation of the above models is presented. Through the paper, the results of tests on columns reinforced with steel jacketing are described and the reliability of some costitutive laws for concrete confined by steel jacketing is examined.
A Water Resources Planning Tool for the Jordan River Basin

The Jordan River basin is subject to extreme and increasing water scarcity. Management of transboundary water resources in the basin is closely intertwined with political conflicts in the region. We have jointly developed with stakeholders and experts from the riparian countries, a new dynamic consensus database and—supported by hydro-climatological model simulations and participatory scenario exercises in the GLOWA (Global Change and the Hydrological Cycle) Jordan River project—a basin-wide Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) tool, which will allow testing of various unilateral and multilateral adaptation options under climate and socio-economic change. We present its validation and initial (climate and socio-economic) scenario analyses with this budget and allocation tool, and invite further adaptation and application of the tool for specific Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) problems.
Virulence factors and biofilm production by isolates of Bacteroides fragilis recovered from dog intestinal tracts

Bacteroides fragilis colonizes dog guts both as a commensal and as an opportunistic pathogen. This study aims to evaluate virulence factors of 13 B. fragilis strains isolated from dog intestinal tracts and their ability for biofilm formation. Capsules were detected in all the evaluated strains. A total of 61.5% of all strains were biofilm producers. These attributes most likely play an important role in B. fragilis persistent colonization in the gut.
A Putative Non-Canonical Ras-Like GTPase from P. falciparum: Chemical Properties and Characterization of the Protein

During its development the malaria parasite P. falciparum has to adapt to various different environmental contexts. Key cellular mechanisms involving G-protein coupled signal transduction chains are assumed to act at these interfaces. Heterotrimeric G-proteins are absent in Plasmodium. We here describe the first cloning and expression of a putative, non-canonical Ras-like G protein (acronym PfG) from Plasmodium. PfG reveals an open reading frame of 2736 bp encoding a protein of 912 amino acids with a theoretical pI of 8.68 and a molecular weight of 108.57 kDa. Transcript levels and expression are significantly increased in the erythrocytic phase in particular during schizont and gametocyte formation. Most notably, PfG has GTP binding capacity and GTPase activity due to an EngA2 domain present in small Ras-like GTPases in a variety of Bacillus species and Mycobacteria. By contrast, plasmodial PfG is divergent from any human alpha-subunit. PfG was expressed in E. coli as a histidine-tagged fusion protein and was stable only for 3.5 hours. Purification was only possible under native conditions by Nickel-chelate chromatography and subsequent separation by Blue Native PAGE. Binding of a fluorescent GTP analogue BODIPY® FL guanosine 5’O-(thiotriphosphate) was determined by fluorescence emission. Mastoparan stimulated GTP binding in the presence of Mg2+. GTPase activity was determined colorimetrically. Activity expressed as absolute fluorescence was 50% higher for the human paralogue than the activity of the parasitic enzyme. The PfG protein is expressed in the erythrocytic stages and binds GTP after immunoprecipitation. Immunofluorescence using specific antiserum suggests that PfG localizes to the parasite cytosol. The current data suggest that the putitative, Ras-like G-protein might be involved in a non-canonical signaling pathway in Plasmodium. Research on the function of PfG with respect to pathogenesis and antimalarial chemotherapy is currently under way.
Segmentation of Polarimetric SAR Data based on the Fisher Distribution for Texture Modeling

The Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PolSAR) covariance matrix is generally modeled by a complex Wishart distribution. For textured scenes, the product model is used and the texture component is often modeled by a Gamma distribution. In this paper, authors propose to use the Fisher distribution for texture modeling. From a Fisher distributed texture component, we derive the distribution of the complex covariance matrix and we propose to implement the KummerU distribution in a hierarchical segmentation and a hierarchical clustering algorithm. Segmentation and classification results are shown on synthetic images and on ESAR L-band PolSAR data over the Oberpfaffenhofen test-site.
Assessing new approaches to estimating the economic impact of transport interventions using the gross value added approach

Current transport appraisal methods, with their focus on the economic welfare benefits and costs of transport investment, are well grounded in theory and widely used, including by the NZ Transport Agency when it comes to prioritising transport interventions in New Zealand. However these methods do not provide estimates of extra gross domestic product and extra jobs, nor the spatial distribution of any economic gains and losses. Gross value added (GVA) models have recently been applied in the United Kingdom and variations also exist in the United States. This study developed a GVA model for New Zealand using 2001 and 2006 census data from the 72 sub-national TA areas, and applied the model to a proposed additional Waitemata Harbour crossing in Auckland. Promisingly the model revealed productivity gains from local agglomeration and pointed to some productivity gains from wider connectivity as well. However the building and use of the model also revealed shortcomings with the measurement of effective densities and the ability to reach inferences about regional distribution. Nonetheless the model did prove insightful in highlighting where the benefits of another harbour crossing would likely lie.
Resveratrol induces apoptosis via ROS-triggered autophagy in human colon cancer cells

Resveratrol (Res; 3,4′,5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), which is a polyphenol found in grapes, can block cell proliferation and induce growth arrest and/or cell death in several types of cancer cells. However, the precise mechanisms by which Res exerts anticancer effects remain poorly understood. Res blocked both anchorage-dependent and -independent growth of HT-29 and COLO 201 human colon cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Annexin V staining and Western blot analysis revealed that Res induced apoptosis accompanied by an increase in Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 cleavage. In HT-29 cells, Res caused autophagy as characterized by the appearance of autophagic vacuoles by electron microscopy and elevation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II by immunoblotting, which was associated with the punctuate pattern of LC3 detected by fluorescein microscopy. Inhibition of Res-induced autophagy by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine caused a significant decrease in apoptosis accompanied by decreased cleavage of Casapse-8 and Caspase-3, indicating that Res-induced autophagy was cytotoxic. However, inhibition of Res-induced apoptosis by the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD(OMe)-FMK did not decrease autophagy but elevated LC3-II levels. Interestingly, Res increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, which correlated to the induction of Casapse-8 and Caspase-3 cleavage and the elevation of LC3-II; treatment with ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine diminished this effect. Therefore, the effect of Res on the induction of apoptosis via autophagy is mediated through ROS in human colon cancer cells.
AKTIP/Ft1, a New Shelterin-Interacting Factor Required for Telomere Maintenance

Telomeres are nucleoprotein complexes that protect the ends of linear chromosomes from incomplete replication, degradation and detection as DNA breaks. Mammalian telomeres are protected by shelterin, a multiprotein complex that binds the TTAGGG telomeric repeats and recruits a series of additional factors that are essential for telomere function. Although many shelterin-associated proteins have been so far identified, the inventory of shelterin-interacting factors required for telomere maintenance is still largely incomplete. Here, we characterize AKTIP/Ft1 (human AKTIP and mouse Ft1 are orthologous), a novel mammalian shelterin-bound factor identified on the basis of its homology with the Drosophila telomere protein Pendolino. AKTIP/Ft1 shares homology with the E2 variant ubiquitin-conjugating (UEV) enzymes and has been previously implicated in the control of apoptosis and in vesicle trafficking. RNAi-mediated depletion of AKTIP results in formation of telomere dysfunction foci (TIFs). Consistent with these results, AKTIP interacts with telomeric DNA and binds the shelterin components TRF1 and TRF2 both in vivo and in vitro. Analysis of AKTIP- depleted human primary fibroblasts showed that they are defective in PCNA recruiting and arrest in the S phase due to the activation of the intra S checkpoint. Accordingly, AKTIP physically interacts with PCNA and the RPA70 DNA replication factor. Ft1-depleted p53-/- MEFs did not arrest in the S phase but displayed significant increases in multiple telomeric signals (MTS) and sister telomere associations (STAs), two hallmarks of defective telomere replication. In addition, we found an epistatic relation for MST formation between Ft1 and TRF1, which has been previously shown to be required for replication fork progression through telomeric DNA. Ch-IP experiments further suggested that in AKTIP-depleted cells undergoing the S phase, TRF1 is less tightly bound to telomeric DNA than in controls. Thus, our results collectively suggest that AKTIP/Ft1 works in concert with TRF1 to facilitate telomeric DNA replication.
Lentivirus-Mediated Knockdown of Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 Inhibits Growth and Induces Apoptosis through MAPK Pathways in Human Retinoblastoma Cells

Purpose To explore expression and function of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) in human retinoblastoma (RB). Methods The expression of AEG-1 in histological sections of human RBs and in RB cell lines was examined using immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR and Western blotting respectively. We knocked down AEG-1 gene levels by AEG-1-siRNA lentivirus transfection of human RB cell lines SO-RB50 and Y79, and using an MTT assay, we assessed the role of AEG-1 on RB cell proliferation. The biological significance of lentivirus transfection induced AEG-1 down-regulation was examined by assessing the apoptosis rate in the transfected RB cells by Annexin V-APC staining and flow cytometry. We additionally measured the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved-caspase-3 and caspase-3, and the phosphorylation and non-phosphorylation alternation of MAPKs. Results AEG-1 expression was detected to be strongly positive in the histological slides of 35 out of 54 (65%) patients with RB. AEG-1 expression increased significantly (P<0.05) with tumor stage. In the RB cell lines SO-RB50, Y79 and WERI-RB1 as compared with retinal pigment epithelium cells, expression of AEG-1 mRNA and AEG-1 protein was significantly higher. In AEG-1-siRNA lentivirus transfected cell cultures as compared with negative control lentivirus transfected cell cultures, levels of AEG-1 mRNA and of AEG-1 protein (P<0.05) and cell growth rates (P<0.01) were significantly lower, and apoptosis rate (P<0.001), Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and cleaved-caspase-3 protein level were significantly increased. The P-ERK/ERK ratio was significantly decreased in the AEG-1-siRNA lentivirus transfected cell lines. Conclusions Expression of AEG-1 was associated with RB, in histological slides of patients and in cell culture experiments. Lentivirus transfection induced knockdown of AEG-1 had a tumor suppressive effect, potentially by tumor cell apoptosis induction through inhibition of ERK.
Evaluating SFI for a CISC Architecture

Executing untrusted code while preserving security requires that the code be prevented from modifying memory or executing instructions except as explicitly allowed. Software-based fault isolation (SFI) or "sandboxing" enforces such a policy by rewriting the untrusted code at the instruction level. However, the original sandboxing technique of Wahbe et al. is applicable only to RISC architectures, and most other previous work is either insecure, or has been not described in enough detail to give confidence in its security properties. We present a new sandboxing technique that can be applied to a CISC architecture like the IA-32, and whose application can be checked at load-time to minimize the TCB. We describe an implementation which provides a robust security guarantee and has low runtime overheads (an average of 21% on the SPECint2000 benchmarks). We evaluate the utility of the technique by applying it to untrusted decompression modules in an archive tool, and its safety by constructing a machine-checked proof that any program approved by the verification algorithm will respect the desired safety property.
A Post-Liberal Peace

Introduction Part 1: The Romanticisation of the Local 1. Civil Society, Needs, Welfare 2. The Culture of Liberal Peacebuilding 3. Critical Perspectives of Liberal Peacebuilding: Cambodia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Timor Leste 4. De-Romanticising the Local: Implications for Post-Liberal Peacebuilding Part 2: Hybridity and The Infrapolitics of Peace 5. Everyday Critical Agency and Resistance in Peacebuilding 6. De-romanticising the Local, De-Mystifying the International: Aspects of the Local-Liberal Hybrid. Conclusion: The Birth of A Post-Liberal Peace
IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE RESPONSE TO FEDERAL AID SYMMETRICAL? EVIDENCE FROM PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY GOVERNMENTS IN AN ERA OF RETRENCHMENT

Previous empirical studies have made little attempt to test whether the fiscal response to intergovernmental aid is asymmetric. This paper tests the asymmetric response hypothesis for 66 Pennsylvania county governments over the 1978-88 period. This marked a period of retrenchment in which counties experienced frequent annual reductions in federal aid. The local government revenue response to federal aid was found to be asymmetric. The reduction in federal aid induced a reduction in own-source revenue. The results support the notion that taxpayers prefer fiscal restraint when permanent loss of aid occurs.
Cosmological implications of a preonic vacuum ( I )

The mathematical and dynamical structure of standard Physics at very short distances can be significantly modified by and underlying preonic structure. But the implications of such a new dynamics can produce important effects well beyond the directly concerned domain. Preons can, in particular, be the constituents of the physical vacuum as postulated two decades ago with the superbradyon (superluminal preon) hypothesis. Indeed, if a fundamental form of matter or pre-matter beyond standard particles exists, there is no reason to assume that its critical speed is equal to the speed of light c. The propagation of superluminal signals in vacuum can in particular be at the origin of the observed quantum entanglement. But the strongest implication of a preonic vacuum would be the possibility that it actually drives the expansion of the Universe. If an unstable (metastable) vacuum permanently expands, it can release energy in the form of conventional matter and of its associated kinetic energy. Then, the cosmological energy density of standard matter may be able by itself to accelerate the expansion of the Universe making useless dark energy and the standard cosmological constant. The spinorial space-time (SST) we introduced in 1996-97 can be the expression of such an expanding vacuum at cosmic level. In the presence of a preonic vacuum, the structure and properties of black holes can be modified in several ways by the interaction between the content of the black hole and the vacuum dynamics. The emission of superluminal preons through the black hole cannot be excluded if such objects can exist as free particles in our Universe. Besides gravitational waves, astrophysical events such as black hole mergers may also emit preonic waves. Similarly, the preonic vacuum may have nontrivial implications for gravitational waves propagating at very large distances. We briefly discuss these and related issues, as well as relevant open questions.
Interpolation Scheme for Fractional-Pel Motion Compensation Using Multi-Directional Filters

The H.264/AVC video coding standard supports motion-compensated prediction with quarter-pel accuracy of motion vectors. In the case of fractional-pel motion vector, pixels at fractional positions have to be interpolated. In an interpolation scheme, the two most important criteria are computational complexity and coding efficiency. In order to enhance both the computational complexity and coding efficiency for various textures of videos, we propose a new interpolation scheme using multi-directional filters. Experimental results show that our proposed scheme outperforms other schemes, including the H.264/AVC standard and the latest interpolation schemes, in terms of both complexity and coding efficiency.
Multiobjective Analysis in Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless Mesh Networks are a scalable and cost-effective solution for next-generation wireless networking. In the present work, we consider the Round Weighting Problem (RWP) which solves a joint routing and scheduling problem to satisfy a given demand subjected to the multi-access interferences. We propose a multiobjective approach that deals with two objectives. The first one is to balance the load in the routers, increasing the security in case of failure. The second objective is to minimize the communication time. We aim to find the Pareto set of the problem, as it captures the trade-off generated by using these two conflicting objective functions. We make experiments with some networks with different number of gateways. The column generation method is used to solve efficiently the test instances. Our approach finds out the relationship between the objective functions, corresponding to a convex piecewise linear function.
Strength of Envelope Protein Interaction Modulates Cytopathicity of Measles Virus

ABSTRACT To understand the molecular determinants of measles virus (MV) cytopathicity, we have characterized mutant viruses exhibiting a more-extensive cell-to-cell fusion while maintaining efficient replication to high titers. A virus which is modified by the addition of an 8-amino-acid Flag epitope tag at the cytoplasmic tail of its H (for MV hemagglutinin) envelope glycoprotein replicates efficiently, has an increased cytopathicity, possesses a greater infectivity per particle, and has an altered protein composition compared with that of unmodified MV. The mutant phenotype is not specifically linked to the epitope sequence, since an alternatively added HA (for influenza virus-derived hemagglutinin) epitope tag caused similar effects. We demonstrate that both epitope tags weaken the interaction between the H and fusion (F) glycoproteins in virus-infected cells. This reduction in strength of H/F interaction is independent of the presence of the viral matrix (M) protein. Viruses with this less stable complex are more sensitive to neutralization by a soluble octameric form of the CD46 receptor, consistent with their increased fusogenicity. Similar analyses of glycoproteins derived from MV strains with reduced cytopathicities confirm that the strength of H and F glycoprotein interaction is a modulator of viral fusogenicity.
Valuing Diversity

This paper explores the economics of diversity-enhancing policies. A model is proposed in which heterogeneous agents, distinguished by skill level and social identity, purchase productive opportunities in a competitive market. We analyze policies designed to raise the status of a disadvantaged identity group. When agent identity is contractible, efficient policy grants preferred access to slots but offers no direct assistance for acquiring skills. When identity is not contractible, efficient policy provides universal subsidies to skill development when the fraction of the disadvantaged group at the skill development margin is larger than their share at the slot assignment margin.