Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of chemokine/cytokine genes and immune cell recruitment following the instillation of Mycobacterium bovis, bacillus Calmette–Guérin or Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG in the healthy murine bladder

Mycobacterium bovis, bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is the current gold standard for bladder cancer therapy. In this study a profile of the gene expression changes that occur after BCG instillation in the bladders of healthy mice was produced and compared to the type of immune cells recruited into the bladder. A similar comparison was made for Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG (LGG) instillations in healthy mice to determine its potential in the immunotherapy of bladder cancer. Mice were given six weekly instillations and were killed after the fourth, fifth and sixth instillations of BCG or LGG. Their bladders were harvested for chemokine/cytokine messenger RNA analysis using an array as well as semi‐quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. In a second set of mice both the bladder and draining lymph nodes were harvested for the analysis of immune cells. BCG significantly upregulated genes for T helper type 1 (Th1) chemokines: Cxcl2, Cxcl9, Cxcl10, Xcl1; and increased the expression of Th1/Th2 chemokines: RANTES, Ccl6 and Ccl7; Th1 polarizing cytokines: Il1β and Tnfa; and Fcγr1 and iNOS as early as after four weekly instillations. Most of these genes remained highly expressed after 6 weeks. In contrast, LGG transiently induced Cxcl10, Il16, Fcεr1 and Il1r2. Despite these findings, LGG instillation induced the recruitment of natural killer cells into the bladder and draining lymph nodes, as was observed for BCG instillation.
Continuance Intention Usage towards E-HRM

The study is focused on a model extension of the attitude towards using Electronic Human Resource Management (E-HRM) by linking attitude to E-HRM continuance intention. In addition, the proposed model elaborates the contingent factors that based on Technology Continuance Theory (TCT) that shape E-HRM continuance intention. This paper advances the emerging body of research on E-HRM by extending the theoretical boundaries of the E-HRM continuance model, and contributes to E-HRM technology research. Questionnaire was used to collect the data from 193 respondents among E-HRM users in Penang and Partial Least Square (PLS) was used as a tool for model construction and hypothesis testing. The survey questions were based upon the Technology Continuance Theory (TCT) using a 7-point Likert scale. The study found that the perceived usefulness, attitude and satisfaction were positively related to continuance usage of E-HRM. Perceived ease of use, satisfaction and perceived usefulness were positively related to attitude. Usefulness and Confirmation were also found to be positively related to satisfaction. Ease of use and Confirmation were found to be positively related to Usefulness. Future empirical studies based on the model studied in this paper should help identify areas with significant impact on users’ continuance intention towards using E-HRM technology in a fast moving environment.
Phase evolution in cholesterol/DPPC monolayers: atomic force microscopy and near field scanning optical microscopy studies

A combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and near field scanning optical microscopy has been used to study domain formation in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC)/cholesterol monolayers with cholesterol concentrations ranging from 0 to 50%. The results show a clear evolution from a mixture of liquid expanded and liquid condensed phases for cholesterol concentrations < 10% to a mixture of liquid expanded and two cholesterol‐containing phases at intermediate concentrations, and finally to a single homogeneous liquid ordered phase for 33% cholesterol. Mixtures of the various phases are clearly identified by height differences in AFM and in some cases by fluorescence imaging for samples containing 0.5% BODIPY dye, which localizes preferentially in the more fluid phase. Note that fluorescence imaging, at least with the dye used here, is unable to distinguish between the cholesterol‐rich and cholesterol‐poor phases detected at intermediate cholesterol concentrations. The combination of fluorescence and AFM imaging provides a more complete picture of the phase evolution for cholesterol/DPPC monolayers than could be obtained by either technique alone, and presents substantial advantages over conventional fluorescence microscopy in that submicrometre‐sized domains can be readily detected.
Source Identification Using Signal Characteristics in Controller Area Networks

The CAN (Controller Area Network) bus, i.e., the de facto standard for connecting ECUs inside cars, is increasingly becoming exposed to some of the most sophisticated security threats. Due to its broadcast nature and ID oriented communication, each node is sightless in regards to the source of the received messages and assuring source identification is an uneasy challenge. While recent research has focused on devising security in CAN networks by the use of cryptography at the protocol layer, such solutions are not always an alternative due to increased communication and computational overheads, not to mention backward compatibility issues. In this work we set steps for a distinct approach, namely, we try to take authentication up to unique physical characteristics of the frames that are placed by each node on the bus. For this we analyze the frames by taking measurements of the voltage, filtering the signal and examining mean square errors and convolutions in order to uniquely identify each potential sender. Our experimental results show that distinguishing between certain nodes is clearly possible and by clever choices of transceivers and frame IDs each message can be precisely linked to its sender.
Vegetation Response Following Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestation, Hemlock Decline, and Hemlock Salvage Logging

Ten heavily logged hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. ) stands in Connecticut and Massachusetts were examined to compare the vegetation response following intense harvesting with chronic hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) ( Adelges tsugae Annand) infestations. All stands were dominated by hemlock, with 66 to 99% of total stand basal area. Salvage or pre-emptive cutting removed more than 50% of overstory stems and more than 65% of the basal area in each stand. Logging generated soil scarification, large accumulations of slash, and more rapid and pronounced microenvironment and vegetation changes than HWA damage. Percent open sky was 25 to 35% in newly cut forests, around 10% in HWA infested forest, and less than 5 % in older cuts and healthy stands. A high percentage of residual hemlock and hardwood stems died within several years of logging, presumably due to environmental conditions. Black birch ( Betula lenta L.) seedling densities and percent cover of brambles ( Rubus L. spp.), sedges ( Carex L. spp.) and hay-scented fern ( Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) Moore) were significantly higher in cut stands versus HWA damaged and healthy stands. High black birch sapling densities (7,000 ha –1 ) were common in the oldest cuts but not in adjacent, HWA-damaged portions of these stands. Residual hardwood trees had little influence on the species composition of emerging vegetation in logged sites. Conifer species were virtually absent in the regeneration following logging and HWA infestation, suggesting that silvicultural intervention will be necessary if evergreen species are desired. Results suggest that both the decline associated with HWA feeding and the indirect effects of logging are generating profound changes in structure and composition in these forests.
Comparison of exact and approximate multi-objective optimization for software product lines

Software product lines (SPLs) allow stakeholders to manage product variants in a systematical way and derive variants by selecting features. Finding a desirable variant is often difficult, due to the huge configuration space and usually conflicting objectives (e.g., lower cost and higher performance). This scenario can be characterized as a multi-objective optimization problem applied to SPLs. We address the problem using an exact and an approximate algorithm and compare their accuracy, time consumption, scalability, parameter setting requirements on five case studies with increasing complexity. Our empirical results show that (1) it is feasible to use exact techniques for small SPL multi-objective optimization problems, and (2) approximate methods can be used for large problems but require substantial effort to find the best parameter setting for acceptable approximation which can be ameliorated with known good parameter ranges. Finally, we discuss the tradeoff between accuracy and time consumption when using exact and approximate techniques for SPL multi-objective optimization and guide stakeholders to choose one or the other in practice.
Fairtrade urbanism: the politics of place beyond place in the Bristol Fairtrade City campaign

Understandings of fairtrade, ethical trading and sustainability often assume a relationship involving disparate placeless consumers being stitched together with place-specific producers in developing world contexts. Using an ethnographic study of the policy-making and political processes of the Bristol Fairtrade City campaign, we suggest ways in which fairtrade consumption can become aligned with place. The campaign was a vehicle for enlisting the ordinary people of Bristol into awareness of and identification with fairtrade issues. Citizens of Bristol were enrolled into a re- imagination of the city involving aspects of what Massey terms the politics of place beyond place. The campaign also enlisted the jurisdictional governance of the local authority, including the introduction of the fairtrade procurement practices. As a result, employees, residents and visitors became fairtrade consumers, knowingly or unknowingly, when visiting the canteens and restaurants of the local authority and other significant sites and institutions in the city. The Fairtrade City campaign can therefore be seen to have deployed ideas of place, fairness and local–global relations as scale frames of mobility through which to embed ethical consumption in place, and to govern consumption at a distance.
Immunoglobulin Isotype-Specific Antibody Responses to Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine in Patients with Recurrent Bacterial Respiratory Tract Infections

ABSTRACT: Anti-pneumococcal IgM, IgG1, IgG2, and IgA antibody titers were determined in 61 pediatric patients with recurrent bacterial respiratory tract infections. The patients were divided in those with normal serum Ig levels (group I, n = 46) and patients with dysimmunoglobulinemia (group II, n = 15). Antibody titers to five pneumococcal serotypes (3, 4, 6A, 9N, and 19F) of different immunogenicity were determined by ELISA, before and 14 d after immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. In the patients of group I, IgM responses did not vary between the various serotypes. IgG1 antibodies reached high levels for pneumococcal types 3, 4, and 9N compared with an adult reference hyperimmune plasma pool, but remained low for the weak immunogenic types 6A and 19F. IgG2 antibody titers remained low and were nearly absent in 20/46 patients. The fold increase in IgA was high, but the ultimate IgA antibody levels remained low. IgA levels remained low to absent in 10/46 patients. Two patients (4%) of group I failed to show anti-pneumococcal antibodies of all Ig isotypes. In group II, 6/15 patients (40%) made no anti-pneumococcal antibodies of any isotype, whereas the remaining patients made no IgG2 and/or IgA anti-pneumococcal antibodies. We conclude that the frequency of nonresponders to pneumococcal vaccination in patients with normal serum Ig is low (4%). However, low IgG2 anti-pneumococcal levels are found in approximately 50% of the patients. In patients with dysimmunoglobulinemia, IgA and IgG2 responses were absent in virtually all patients, whereas 40% made no anti-pneumococcal antibodies of any isotype.
Topical Capsaicin-Induced Allodynia in Unanesthetized Primates: Pharmacological Modulation

Topically administered capsaicin produces thermal allodynia, and this effect has been used to investigate pain transduction and its pharmacological modulation. This study investigated the parameters of topical capsaicin-induced thermal allodynia in unanesthetized rhesus monkeys and its pharmacological modulation by centrally acting compounds [a κ-opioid agonist: (5α,7α,8β)-(+)-N-methyl-N-(7-[1-pyrrolidinyl]-1-oxaspiro [4.5]dec-8-yl)-benzeneacetamide (U69,593); and noncompetitive N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists: ketamine and MK-801 (dizocilpine)]. Rhesus monkeys (n = 4) were studied within the warm water tail withdrawal assay (20-s maximum latency), using thermal stimuli that are normally not noxious (38 and 42°C). Capsaicin was applied topically on the tail (0.0013 and 0.004 M capsaicin solution on a 1-cm2 patch; 15-min contact). Topical capsaicin produced concentration-dependent thermal allodynia in both temperatures, robustly detected 15 to 90 min after topical capsaicin removal. A similar allodynic profile was observed with topical administration of the “endovanilloid” N-arachidonoyl-dopamine. The κ-agonist U69,593 (0.01-0.1 mg/kg, s.c.) dose dependently prevented capsaicin (0.004 M)-induced allodynia in 38 and 42°C, and the largest U69,593 dose also reversed ongoing allodynia within this model. Two NMDA antagonists, ketamine and MK-801 (0.32-1.8 and 0.032-0.056 mg/kg, respectively), also prevented capsaicin-induced allodynia in 38°C, but only variably in 42°C, at doses that did not cause robust thermal antinociceptive effects. At the largest doses studied, ketamine but not MK-801 also briefly reversed ongoing capsaicin-induced allodynia. The present model of topical capsaicin administration may be used to study antiallodynic effects of opioid and nonopioid compounds, as well as their ability to prevent and reverse allodynia, in unanesthetized nonhuman primates in the absence of tissue disruption.
Endothelial progenitor cells

EPC play an important role in both angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. Recent evidence has suggested the involvement of EPC in tumor growth and metastasis. In vitro, EPC invade into breast and ovarian cancer cell clusters, whereas human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) do not. In vivo, change in EPC number has been associated with lymphoma, multiple myeloma, Lewis lung tumor, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Interestingly, EPC are more similar to human tumor endothelial cells in their gene expression patterns than human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) or HMVEC, the two widely used cell types for antiangiogenic drug screening. For example, EPC express tumor endothelial marker 7 (TEM7), which is elevated in human colorectal cancer endothelium, but HMVEC or HUVEC do not. Compared to specific mature types of endothelial cells such as HMVEC and HUVEC, EPC are more suitable for cellbased screening of anti-cancer drugs.
CheapBFT: resource-efficient byzantine fault tolerance

One of the main reasons why Byzantine fault-tolerant (BFT) systems are not widely used lies in their high resource consumption: 3f+1 replicas are necessary to tolerate only f faults. Recent works have been able to reduce the minimum number of replicas to 2f+1 by relying on a trusted subsystem that prevents a replica from making conflicting statements to other replicas without being detected. Nevertheless, having been designed with the focus on fault handling, these systems still employ a majority of replicas during normal-case operation for seemingly redundant work. Furthermore, the trusted subsystems available trade off performance for security; that is, they either achieve high throughput or they come with a small trusted computing base. This paper presents CheapBFT, a BFT system that, for the first time, tolerates that all but one of the replicas active in normal-case operation become faulty. CheapBFT runs a composite agreement protocol and exploits passive replication to save resources; in the absence of faults, it requires that only f+1 replicas actively agree on client requests and execute them. In case of suspected faulty behavior, CheapBFT triggers a transition protocol that activates f extra passive replicas and brings all non-faulty replicas into a consistent state again. This approach, for example, allows the system to safely switch to another, more resilient agreement protocol. CheapBFT relies on an FPGA-based trusted subsystem for the authentication of protocol messages that provides high performance and comprises a small trusted computing base.
Coordination of Internet Agents: Models, Technologies, and Applications

The Internet confronts IT researchers, system designers, and application developers with completely new challenges and, as a fascinating new computing paradigm, agent technology has recently attracted broad interest and strong hopes for shaping the future information society. This monograph-like anthology is the first systematic guide to models and enabling technologies for the coordination of intelligent agents on the Internet and respective applications.
The redshift and afterglow of the extremely energetic gamma-ray burst GRB 080916C

Context. The detection of GeV photons from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has important consequences for the interpretation and modelling of these most-energetic cosmological explosions. The full exploitation of the high-energy measurements relies, however, on accurate knowledge of the distance to the events. Aims. Here we report on the discovery of the afterglow and subsequent redshift determination of GRB 080916C, the first GRB detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope with high significance detection of photons at energies >0.1 GeV. Methods. Observations were done with the 7-channel “Gamma-Ray Optical and Near-infrared Detector” (GROND) at the 2.2 m MPI/ESO telescope, the SIRIUS instrument at the Nagoya-SAAO 1.4 m telescope in South Africa, and the GMOS instrument at Gemini-S. Results. The afterglow photometric redshift of z = 4.35 ± 0.15, based on simultaneous 7-filter observations with GROND, places GRB 080916C among the top 5% most distant GRBs and makes it the most energetic GRB known to date. The detection of GeV photons from such a distant event is unexpected because of the predicted opacity due to interaction with the extragalactic background light. The observed gamma-ray variability in the prompt emission, together with the redshift, suggests a lower limit for the Lorentz factor of the ultra-relativistic ejecta of Γ > 1090. This value rivals any previous measurements of Γ in GRBs and strengthens the extreme nature of GRB 080916C.
Revisiting Unplanned Endotracheal Extubation and Disease Severity in Intensive Care Units

Most reports regarding unplanned extubation (UE) are case-control studies with matching age and disease severity. To avoid diminishing differences in matched factors, this study with only matching duration of mechanical ventilation aimed to re-examine the risk factors and the factors governing outcomes of UE in intensive care units (ICUs). This case-control study was conducted on 1,775 subjects intubated for mechanical ventilation. Thirty-seven (2.1%) subjects with UE were identified, and 156 non-UE subjects were randomly selected as the control group. Demographic data, acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, and outcomes of UE were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors of UE. Milder disease, younger age, and higher Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores with more frequently being physically restrained (all p<0.05) were related to UE. Logistic regression revealed that APACHE II score (odds ratio (OR) 0.91, p<0.01), respiratory infection (OR 0.24, p<0.01), physical restraint (OR 5.36, p<0.001), and certain specific diseases (OR 3.79–5.62, p<0.05) were related to UE. The UE patients had a lower ICU mortality rate (p<0.01) and a trend of lower in-hospital mortality rate (p = 0.08). Cox regression analysis revealed that in-hospital mortality was associated with APACHE II score, age, shock, and oxygen used, all of which were co-linear, but not UE. The results showed that milder disease with higher GCS scores thereby requiring a higher use of physical restraints were related to UE. Disease severity but not UE was associated with in-hospital mortality.
Spectral continuity , amplitude changes , and perception of length contrasts

Japanese deploys a singleton-geminate contrast in obstruents and nasals, but not in glides. Even though Japanese allows lexical nasal geminates, patterns of emphatic gemination show that Japanese avoids creating nasal geminates. Japanese therefore disfavors sonorant geminates in general, and glide geminates in particular. These phonological patterns of geminates are actually found in other languages as well, such as Ilokano (Hayes, 1989). This paper tests hypotheses about why speakers of these languages show these preferences. Concerning the distinction between obstruent geminates and sonorant geminates, Podesva (2002) hypothesizes that the phonological dispreference against sonorant geminates exists because these geminates are easily confused with corresponding singletons. This confusability problem arises because sonorants are spectrally continuous with flanking vowels, and consequently their constriction durations are difficult to perceive. Two non-speech perception experiments, Experiments I and II, confirm this hypothesis by showing that length distinctions of consonant intervals that are spectrally continuous with surrounding segments are difficult to perceive. Concerning the difference between nasal geminates and glide geminates, this paper builds on the finding by Kato et al. (1997) that given streams of sounds, listeners use amplitude changes to demarcate segmental boundaries. Experiments III and IV show that amplitude changes facilitate categorization and discrimination of short/long contrasts of consonantal intervals. These results are compatible with the fact that several languages disfavor glide geminates more than nasal geminates. Overall, the results of the four perception experiments reported here accord well with the cross-linguistic phonological patterning of geminates. We close this paper by discussing what the current results imply about how the phonetics-phonology works.
A Genome-Wide Characterization of MicroRNA Genes in Maize

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that play essential roles in plant growth, development, and stress response. We conducted a genome-wide survey of maize miRNA genes, characterizing their structure, expression, and evolution. Computational approaches based on homology and secondary structure modeling identified 150 high-confidence genes within 26 miRNA families. For 25 families, expression was verified by deep-sequencing of small RNA libraries that were prepared from an assortment of maize tissues. PCR–RACE amplification of 68 miRNA transcript precursors, representing 18 families conserved across several plant species, showed that splice variation and the use of alternative transcriptional start and stop sites is common within this class of genes. Comparison of sequence variation data from diverse maize inbred lines versus teosinte accessions suggest that the mature miRNAs are under strong purifying selection while the flanking sequences evolve equivalently to other genes. Since maize is derived from an ancient tetraploid, the effect of whole-genome duplication on miRNA evolution was examined. We found that, like protein-coding genes, duplicated miRNA genes underwent extensive gene-loss, with ∼35% of ancestral sites retained as duplicate homoeologous miRNA genes. This number is higher than that observed with protein-coding genes. A search for putative miRNA targets indicated bias towards genes in regulatory and metabolic pathways. As maize is one of the principal models for plant growth and development, this study will serve as a foundation for future research into the functional roles of miRNA genes.