Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Implementation of a Hypervisor-Based Platform for Dynamic Information Flow Tracking in a Distributed Environment

One of the central security concerns in managing an organization is protecting the flow of sensitive information, by which we mean either maintaining an audit trail or ensuring that sensitive documents are disseminated only to the authorized parties. A promising approach to securing sensitive data involves designing mechanisms that interpose at the software-hardware boundary and track the flow of information with high precision—at the level of bytes and machine instructions. Fine-grained information flow tracking (IFT) is conceptually simple: memory and registers containing sensitive data are tagged with taint labels and these labels are propagated in accordance with the computation. However, previous efforts have demonstrated that full-system IFT faces two major practical limitations—enormous performance overhead and taint explosion. These challenges render existing IFT implementations impractical for deployment outside of a laboratory setting. This dissertation describes our progress in addressing these challenges. We present the design and implementation of PIFT (for Practical Information Flow Tracking)—a hypervisor-based IFT platform that achieves substantial performance improvements over previous systems and largely eliminates the problem of kernel taint explosion. PIFT takes advantage of spare CPU cores to track the flow of information asynchronously and in parallel with the primary instruction stream. To the best of our knowledge, PIFT is the most efficient full-system IFT platform available at the time of writing and is the only implementation that supports real-time tracking of information flow in graphical desktop environments.
Factors Associated with Nurses’ Self-Efficacy in Applying Palliative Care in Intensive Care Unit

Introduction: The increasing need for palliative care (PC) in the intensive care unit (ICU) is characterised by an increasing number of patients with critical and terminals conditions. It requires comprehensive treatment of nurses, through PC. Self-efficacy is a major predictor that affects the application of PC in ICU. Therefore, nurses need to have high self-efficacy to provide quality PC for patients and their families. This study aimed to analyse the factors that dominant relates to nurses' self-efficacy in implementing of providing PC in ICU.Methods: This research was correlational research with cross-sectional survey design. The sampling technique used was total sampling, which involved 127 critical nurses who were actively working at a general hospital in Bandung, Indonesia. Data were collected using questionnaires. Bivariate analysis using Pearson correlation and Rank-Spearman test and multivariate analysis using linear regression.Results: The results showed that the majority of respondents had high self-efficacy, working experience >15 years, enough interest to the nursing profession had less knowledge and negative perception related to the PC in ICU. There was a significant relationship between self-efficacy with work experience, nurses' interest in the nursing profession, knowledge and perception variables. The most dominant factors related to self-efficacy, namely knowledge and perceptions of nurses related to PC.Conclusion: This study indicates that majority of the respondents lacked knowledge and had negative perceptions related to PC in ICU, it is necessary to socialise and training related to it by focusing on self-belief or self-efficacy of nurses on their ability.
Repetitive TMS Suggests a Role of the Human Dorsal Premotor Cortex in Action Prediction

Predicting the actions of other individuals is crucial for our daily interactions. Recent evidence suggests that the prediction of object-directed arm and full-body actions employs the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd). Thus, the neural substrate involved in action control may also be essential for action prediction. Here, we aimed to address this issue and hypothesized that disrupting the PMd impairs action prediction. Using fMRI-guided coil navigation, rTMS (five pulses, 10 Hz) was applied over the left PMd and over the vertex (control region) while participants observed everyday actions in video clips that were transiently occluded for 1 s. The participants detected manipulations in the time course of occluded actions, which required them to internally predict the actions during occlusion. To differentiate between functional roles that the PMd could play in prediction, rTMS was either delivered at occluder-onset (TMS-early), affecting the initiation of action prediction, or 300 ms later during occlusion (TMS-late), affecting the maintenance of an ongoing prediction. TMS-early over the left PMd produced more prediction errors than TMS-early over the vertex. TMS-late had no effect on prediction performance, suggesting that the left PMd might be involved particularly during the initiation of internally guided action prediction but may play a subordinate role in maintaining ongoing prediction. These findings open a new perspective on the role of the left PMd in action prediction which is in line with its functions in action control and in cognitive tasks. In the discussion, the relevance of the left PMd for integrating external action parameters with the observer’s motor repertoire is emphasized. Overall, the results are in line with the notion that premotor functions are employed in both action control and action observation.
Perspective: a systems approach to diabetes research

We review here the status of human type 2 diabetes studies from a genetic, epidemiological, and clinical (intervention) perspective. Most studies limit analyses to one or a few omic technologies providing data of components of physiological processes. Since all chronic diseases are multifactorial and arise from complex interactions between genetic makeup and environment, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a collection of sub-phenotypes resulting in high fasting glucose. The underlying gene–environment interactions that produce these classes of T2DM are imperfectly characterized. Based on assessments of the complexity of T2DM, we propose a systems biology approach to advance the understanding of origin, onset, development, prevention, and treatment of this complex disease. This systems-based strategy is based on new study design principles and the integrated application of omics technologies: we pursue longitudinal studies in which each subject is analyzed at both homeostasis and after (healthy and safe) challenges. Each enrolled subject functions thereby as their own case and control and this design avoids assigning the subjects a priori to case and control groups based on limited phenotyping. Analyses at different time points along this longitudinal investigation are performed with a comprehensive set of omics platforms. These data sets are generated in a biological context, rather than biochemical compound class-driven manner, which we term “systems omics. ”
Masting in wind-pollinated trees: system-specific roles of weather and pollination dynamics in driving seed production.

Masting, the highly variable production of synchronized large seed crops, is a common reproductive strategy in plant populations. In wind-pollinated trees, flowering and pollination dynamics are hypothesized to provide the mechanistic link for the well-known relationship between weather and population-level seed production. Several hypotheses make predictions about the effect of weather on annual pollination success. The pollen coupling hypothesis predicts that weather and plant resources drive the flowering effort of trees, which directly translates into the size of seed crops through efficient pollination. In contrast, the pollination Moran effect hypothesis predicts that weather affects pollination efficiency, leading to occasional bumper crops. Furthermore, the recently formulated phenology synchrony hypothesis predicts that Moran effects can arise because of weather effects on flowering synchrony, which, in turn, drives pollination efficiency. We investigated the relationship between weather, airborne pollen, and seed production in common European trees, two oak species (Quercus petraea and Q. robur) and beech (Fagus sylvatica) with a 19-yr data set from three sites in Poland. Our results show that warm summers preceding flowering correlated with high pollen abundance and warm springs resulted in short pollen seasons (i.e., high flowering synchrony) for all three species. Pollen abundance was the best predictor for seed crops in beech, as predicted under pollen coupling. In oaks, short pollen seasons, rather than pollen abundance, correlated with large seed crops, providing support for the pollination Moran effect and phenology synchrony hypotheses. Fundamentally different mechanisms may therefore drive masting in species of the family Fagacae.
A New Approach to an Unbiased Estimate of the Hepatic Stellate Cell Index in the Rat Liver: An Example in Healthy Conditions1

Evaluation of activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) must be grounded on solid quantitative data under normal conditions. The HSC index (HSCI), number of HSCs per 1000 hepatocytes (HEP), is often used in hepatology but has been never determined using stereology. Systematically sampled sections were immunostained against glial fibrillary acidic protein and carcinoembryonic antigen, allowing unequivocal distinction of HSC and mononuclear/binuclear HEP. With the optical disector the HSCI was estimated as 109 (coefficient of error = 0.04). This work provides a sound technical basis for experiments in which the estimation of HSCI and/or simultaneous quantification of HSC and HEP are relevant.
Activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB by the adenovirus E3/19K protein requires its ER retention

We have recently shown that the accumulation of diverse viral and cellular membrane proteins in the ER activates the higher eukaryotic transcription factor NF-kappaB. This defined a novel ER-nuclear signal transduction pathway, which is distinct from the previously described unfolded protein response (UPR). The well characterized UPR pathway is activated by the presence of un- or malfolded proteins in the ER. In contrast, the ER stress signal which activates the NF-kappaB pathway is not known. Here we used the adenovirus early region protein E3/19K as a model to investigate the nature of the NF-kappaB-activating signal emitted by the ER. E3/19K resides in the endoplasmic reticulum where it binds to MHC class I molecules, thereby preventing their transport to the cell surface. It is maintained in the ER by a retention signal sequence in its carboxy terminus, which causes the protein to be continuously retrieved to the ER from post-ER compartments. Mutation of this sequence allows E3/19K to reach the cell surface. We show here that expression of E3/19K potently activates a functional NF-kappaB transcription factor. The activated NF-kappaB complexes contained p50/p65 and p50/c-rel heterodimers. E3/19K interaction with MHC class I was not important for NF-kappaB activation since mutant proteins which no longer bind MHC molecules remained fully capable of inducing NF- kappaB. However, activation of both NF-kappaB DNA binding and kappaB- dependent transactivation relied on E3/19K ER retention: mutants, which were expressed on the cell surface, could no longer activate the transcription factor. This identifies the NF-kappaB-activating signal as the accumulation of proteins in the ER membrane, a condition we have termed "ER overload. " We show that ER overload-mediated NF-kappaB activation but not TNF-stimulated NF-kappaB induction can be inhibited by the intracellular Ca2+ chelator TMB-8. Moreover, treatment of cells with two inhibitors of the ER-resident Ca(2+) -dependent ATPase, thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid, which causes a rapid release of Ca2+ from the ER, strongly activated NF-kappaB. We therefore propose that ER overload activates NF-kappaB by causing Ca2+ release from the ER. Because NF-kappaB plays a key role in mounting an immune response, ER overload caused by viral proteins may constitute a simple antiviral response with broad specificity.
Antioxidant Enzymes and Lipid Peroxidation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with and without Nephropathy

Background: Oxidative stress has been considered to be a pathogenic factor of diabetic complications including nephropathy. There are many controversies and limited studies regarding the antioxidant enzymes in diabetic nephropathy. Aim: This study was to evaluate the levels of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients with and without nephropathy. Materials and Methods: The study included 90 age and sex matched subjects. Blood samples of all subjects were analyzed for all biochemical and oxidative stress parameters. Results: The malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and catalase (CAT) activity were significantly increased and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) were significantly decreased in Type-2 DM with and without nephropathy as compared to controls and also in Type-2 DM with nephropathy as compared to Type-2 DM without nephropathy. There were an excellent positive correlation of glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) with MDA and a good negative correlation of GPx with GSH in controls. There were positive correlations of GR, CAT, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) with MDA in Type-2 diabetes patients with nephropathy. Conclusions: Intensity of oxidative stress in Type-2 diabetic patients with nephropathy is greater when compared with Type-2 diabetic patients without nephropathy as compared to the controls.
Lipoprotein(a) and ageing.

BACKGROUND Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. There is as yet controversy on serum Lp(a) concentrations in the elderly population. METHODS We investigated 2128 medical outpatients who consecutively attended our laboratory between January 2006 and June 2008 for Lp(a) and routine serum lipid assessment. The cohort included 299 (88 men and 211 women) elderly outpatients aged > or = 75 yrs and 1829 (828 men and 1001 women) patients aged < 75 yrs. RESULTS Compared with those aged <75 yrs, elderly male patients had an overall more favourable traditional lipid profile, including lower values of cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, total to HDL-C ratio, atherogenic index of plasma and higher values of HDL-C. Conversely, no significant differences could be observed between women aged < 75 yrs and the elderly patients. In both genders, elderly patients had significantly higher Lp(a) median concentrations. However, after stratification of patients according to the current 300 mg/L cardiovascular risk threshold for Lp(a), the percentages of those > or = 75 yrs having Lp(a) levels above this threshold were marginally, but not significantly, higher in both genders (men: 28% versus 25%, p = 0.499; women: 35% versus 30%, p = 0.374). CONCLUSIONS The results of the present investigation suggests that elderly patients have similar or even greater Lp(a) values than those observed in a general population aged < 75 yrs. Accordingly, elevated serum Lp(a) concentrations may be compatible with longevity.
Gender Differences in Online Dating: What Do We Know So Far? A Systematic Literature Review

With millions of users worldwide, online dating platforms strive to assert themselves as powerful tools to find dates and form romantic relationships. However, significant differences exist in male and female use of this mate-matching technology with respect to motivation, preferences, self-presentation, interaction and outcomes. While existing research has routinely reported on gender differences in online dating, these insights remain scattered across multiple studies. To gain a systematic insight into existing findings, in this study we conduct a meta-review of existing research. We find that evolutionary theory generally holds true in online dating: Users still follow natural stereotypes when it comes to choosing a mate online. Physical attractiveness is the key criteria for men, while women, being much more demanding, prioritize socio-economic attributes when choosing a male partner. Together, our structured findings offer a deeper insight into the underlying dynamics of gender differences in online dating.
A method to resolve the phase state of aerosol particles

Abstract. The phase state of atmospheric aerosols has an impact on their chemical aging and their deliquescence and thus their ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). The phase change of particles can be induced by the deliquescence or efflorescence of water or by chemical aging. Existing methods, such as tandem differential mobility analysis rely on the size change of particles related to the water uptake or release. To address the need to study the phase change induced by mass-preserving and nearly mass-preserving processes a new method has been developed. The method relies on the physical impaction of particles on a smooth substrate and subsequent counting of bounced particles by a condensation particle counter (CPC). The connection between the bounce probability and physical properties of particles is so far qualitative. To evaluate the performance of this method, the phase state of ammonium sulfate and levoglucosan, crystalline and amorphous solid, in the presence of water vapor was studied. The results show a marked difference in particle bouncing properties between substances – not only at the critical relative humidity level, but also on the slope of the bouncing probability with respect to humidity. This suggests that the method can be used to differentiate between amorphous and crystalline substances as well as to differentiate between liquid and solid phases.
Optic Flow Stimuli in and Near the Visual Field Centre: A Group fMRI Study of Motion Sensitive Regions

Motion stimuli in one visual hemifield activate human primary visual areas of the contralateral side, but suppress activity of the corresponding ipsilateral regions. While hemifield motion is rare in everyday life, motion in both hemifields occurs regularly whenever we move. Consequently, during motion primary visual regions should simultaneously receive excitatory and inhibitory inputs. A comparison of primary and higher visual cortex activations induced by bilateral and unilateral motion stimuli is missing up to now. Many motion studies focused on the MT+ complex in the parieto-occipito-temporal cortex. In single human subjects MT+ has been subdivided in area MT, which was activated by motion stimuli in the contralateral visual field, and area MST, which responded to motion in both the contra- and ipsilateral field. In this study we investigated the cortical activation when excitatory and inhibitory inputs interfere with each other in primary visual regions and we present for the first time group results of the MT+ subregions, allowing for comparisons with the group results of other motion processing studies. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated whole brain activations in a large group of healthy humans by applying optic flow stimuli in and near the visual field centre and performed a second level analysis. Primary visual areas were activated exclusively by motion in the contralateral field but to our surprise not by central flow fields. Inhibitory inputs to primary visual regions appear to cancel simultaneously occurring excitatory inputs during central flow field stimulation. Within MT+ we identified two subregions. Putative area MST (pMST) was activated by ipsi- and contralateral stimulation and located in the anterior part of MT+. The second subregion was located in the more posterior part of MT+ (putative area MT, pMT).
Exploiting Mutual Benefits between Syntax and Semantic Roles using Neural Network

We investigate mutual beneﬁts between syntax and semantic roles using neural network models, by studying a parsing → SRL pipeline, a SRL → parsing pipeline, and a simple joint model by embedding sharing. The integration of syntactic and semantic features gives promising results in a Chinese Semantic Tree-bank, demonstrating large potentials of neural models for joint parsing and semantic role labeling.
Lexical and Structural Biases for Function Parsing

In this paper, we explore two extensions to an existing statistical parsing model to produce richer parse trees, annotated with function labels. We achieve significant improvements in parsing by modelling directly the specific nature of function labels, as both expressions of the lexical semantics properties of a constituent and as syntactic elements whose distribution is subject to structural locality constraints. We also reach state-of-the-art accuracy on function labelling. Our results suggest that current statistical parsing methods are sufficiently robust to produce accurate shallow functional or semantic annotation, if appropriately biased.
Lower Respiratory Tract Infections Associated with Rhinovirus during Infancy and Increased Risk of Wheezing during Childhood. A Cohort Study

Background and Objectives Although association between respiratory syncytial virus infection and later asthma development has been established, little is known about the role of other respiratory viruses. Rhinovirus was considered a mild pathogen of the upper respiratory tract but current evidence suggests that rhinovirus is highly prevalent among children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). The aim of the study was to evaluate whether LRTI hospitalization associated with rhinovirus during infancy was associated with an increased risk of wheezing – a proxy measure of asthma – during childhood. Methods During a 12 months period, all infants <1 year admitted to Manhiça District Hospital with symptoms of LRTI who survived the LRTI episode, were enrolled in the study cohort. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected on admission for viral determination and study infants were classified according to presence or not of rhinovirus. The study cohort was passively followed-up at the Manhiça District Hospital for up to 4 years and 9 months to evaluate the association between LRTI associated with rhinovirus in infancy and wheezing during childhood. Findings and Conclusions A total of 220 infants entered the cohort; 25% of them had rhinovirus detected during the LRTI episode as opposed to 75% who tested negative for rhinovirus. After adjusting for sex and age and HIV infection at recruitment, infants hospitalized with LRTI associated with rhinovirus had higher incidence of subsequent visits with wheezing within the year following hospitalization [Rate ratio=1.68, (95% confidence interval=1.02-2.75); Wald test p-value = 0.039]. No evidence of increased incidence rate of visits with wheezing was observed for the remaining follow-up period. Our data suggest a short term increased risk of wheezing after an initial episode of LRTI with RV.