Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Heterogeneity of Contributors in Bug Bounty Programs

Background: While bug bounty programs are not new in software development, an increasing number of companies, as well as open source projects, rely on external parties to perform the security assessment of their software for reward. However, there is relatively little empirical knowledge about the characteristics of bug bounty program contributors. Aim: This paper aims to understand those contributors by highlighting the heterogeneity among them. Method: We analyzed the histories of 82 bug bounty programs and 2,504 distinct bug bounty contributors, and conducted a quantitative and qualitative survey. Results: We found that there are project-specific and non-specific contributors who have different motivations for contributing to the products and organizations. Conclusions: Our findings provide insights to make bug bounty programs better and for further studies of new software development roles.
Eradication of established tumors by a fully human monoclonal antibody to the epidermal growth factor receptor without concomitant chemotherapy.

A fully human IgG2kappa monoclonal antibody (MAb), E7.6. 3, specific to the human epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFr) was generated from human antibody-producing XenoMouse strains engineered to be deficient in mouse antibody production and to contain the majority of the human antibody gene repertoire on megabase-sized fragments from the human heavy and kappa light chain loci. The E7.6. 3 MAb exhibits high affinity (KD = 5 x 10(-11) M) to the receptor, blocks completely the binding of both EGF and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-a) to various EGFr-expressing human carcinoma cell lines, and abolishes EGF-dependent cell activation, including EGFr tyrosine phosphorylation, increased extracellular acidification rate, and cell proliferation. The antibody (0.2 mg i.p. twice a week for 3 weeks) prevents completely the formation of human epidermoid carcinoma A431 xenografts in athymic mice. More importantly, the administration of E7.6. 3 without concomitant chemotherapy results in complete eradication of established tumors as large as 1.2 cm3. Tumor eradication of A431 xenografts was achieved in nearly all of the mice treated with total E7.6. 3 doses as low as 3 mg, administered over the course of 3 weeks, and a total dose of 0.6 mg led to tumor elimination in 65% of the mice. No tumor recurrence was observed for more than 8 months after the last antibody injection, which further indicated complete tumor cell elimination by the antibody. The potency of E7.6. 3 in eradicating well-established tumors without concomitant chemotherapy indicates its potential as a monotherapeutic agent for the treatment of multiple EGFr-expressing human solid tumors, including those for which no effective chemotherapy is available. Being a fully human antibody, E7.6. 3 is expected to exhibit minimal immunogenicity and a longer half-life as compared with mouse or mouse-derivatized MAbs, thus allowing repeated antibody administration, including in immunocompetent patients. These results suggest E7.6. 3 as a good candidate for assessing the full therapeutic potential of anti-EGFr antibody in the therapy of multiple patient populations with EGFr-expressing solid tumors.
An Optimized Sponge for microRNA miR-9 Affects Spinal Motor Neuron Development in vivo

The specification of motor neuron (MN) subtypes and columnar organization in developing spinal cord is controlled by multiple transcription factors. FoxP1 drives specification of lateral motor neuron (LMN) subtypes, and we demonstrated in our previous work that FoxP1 expression levels are regulated by the microRNA miR-9. Here we show that ectopic FoxP1 expression in the chick spinal cord can rescue Lhx3 and Hb9 expression in MNs altered by miR-9 over-expression, demonstrating that FoxP1 is a critical functional interaction partner for miR-9 in LMN development. Moreover, we have optimized a technique called a miRNA sponge in vitro, to permit easy discovery of the role of individual miRNA in vivo using a loss-of-function approach. We here show that narrow spacing between binding sites, inclusion of a coding gene, and optimizing the number of miRNA binding sites can significantly increase the blocking ability of a sponge. We go on to show that a miR-9 sponge reduces detectable miR-9 in the ventral horn, preventing miR-9 silencing of FoxP1 in vivo, and in turn modifies MN subtypes in the spinal cord. Our designs for optimized sponges provide a knockdown tool that is ready to be used to study the function of miRNA in vivo, and in particular for generating transgenic animal models.
Ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of pneumonia

Purpose of review Point of care ultrasound continues to become more prevalent in the diagnosis and management of many disease states. In this review, we focus on the use of bedside lung ultrasound (LUS) in the diagnosis of pneumonia. We describe the sonographic findings associated with pneumonia and the recent literature exploring its use in different settings and patient populations. Recent findings The limited sensitivity of chest radiography in the diagnosis of pneumonia has been well described. Ultrasound is an attractive option because of its low cost, lack of ionizing radiation, portability, and repeatability. An alveolar or focal interstitial pattern has been described as the usual sonographic findings in pneumonia. Multiple studies have compared LUS with chest radiography in pneumonia, and have shown that LUS is at least equivalent, and in many instances superior, to chest radiography. Summary Point of care LUS is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis of multiple pulmonary conditions, including pneumonia. Its use in real time with clinical correlation makes it an ideal tool for rapid diagnosis, especially in situations with unstable patients or in low-resource settings.
Central and Peripheral Neurological Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the spectrum, frequency and coincidence of central and peripheral neurological involvement in a cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ma te ri al and Met hod: Thirty consecutive patients, with a biopsy proven diagnosis of IBD (15 Crohn’s disease, 15 ulcerative colitis) were enrolled and followed for a period of one year. Clinical neurological evaluations, electrodiagnostic examination and neuroimaging were performed in all patients. Neuroimaging findings were compared with an ageand sex-matched healthy control group. Re sults: Among the 25 patients who completed the study, mild peripheral neuropathy was the most commonly encountered neurologic pathology. Twelve percent had distal symmetrical sensory and sensorimotor polyneuropathy, and 16% had mononeuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy predominantly affected females (p<0.05). Focal white matter lesions were demonstrated in 20.8% of the patients, which was not significantly different from the control group (p>0.05). Seizure disorder and steroid myopathy occurred once each during the study period. Concurrent central and peripheral nervous system pathologies were detected in three cases with longer disease duration. Two new neurological incidents were observed during the one year follow-up period and included cranial mononeuropathy and cerebral venous thrombosis in two patients. Dis cus si on: Our findings suggest higher vulnerability of the peripheral nerves among women throughout the course of inflammatory bowel disease. Focal white matter lesions appear unlikely to represent another neurological manifestation of IBD. Larger controlled prospective studies should be conducted in order to observe common etiological pathways and identify the nature of neurological involvement in IBD. (Turkish Journal of Neurology 2012; 18:145-150)
In vitro activities of cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, cefpirome, and penicillin against Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates

The in vitro activities of four extended-spectrum cephalosporins and benzyl penicillin were evaluated against 698 clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, including 130 (19%) penicillin-intermediate and 84 (12%) penicillin-resistant strains. Cefotaxime and ceftriaxone were essentially identical in their antipneumococcal activities: both were active against penicillin-susceptible strains and most penicillin-intermediate strains. Cefpirome was twice as potent as cefotaxime and ceftriaxone against penicillin-resistant strains. Ceftazidime was 8- to 16-fold less active than cefotaxime and ceftriaxone against S. pneumoniae in vitro, and thus, its spectrum included only penicillin-susceptible strains.
A Content Analysis of Visual Cancer Information: Prevalence and Use of Photographs and Illustrations in Printed Health Materials

Researchers and practitioners have an increasing interest in visual components of health information and health communication messages. This study contributes to this evolving body of research by providing an account of the visual images and information featured in printed cancer communication materials. Using content analysis, 147 pamphlets and 858 images were examined to determine how frequently images are used in printed materials, what types of images are used, what information is conveyed visually, and whether or not current recommendations for the inclusion of visual content were being followed. Although visual messages were found to be common in printed health materials, existing recommendations about the inclusion of visual content were only partially followed. Results are discussed in terms of how relevant theoretical frameworks in the areas of behavior change and visual persuasion seem to be used in these materials, as well as how more theory-oriented research is necessary in visual messaging efforts.
Defying Extinction Through Conservation: Benefits of Black Rhino Tracking in the #Khoadi//Hôas Conservancy, Namibia

Abstract Direct benefits of biodiversity conservation have been a subject of debate over the past two decades. Despite the accelerated growth of CBNRM initiatives meant to redress the neglected communities and bring socioeconomic development to remote areas, the challenge is to develop innovative instruments for channeling conservation investments efforts directly for individual gain and collective wealth and well-being of communities. To appreciate the value of Black rhino tracking, a case study approach was used to measure the benefits accruing to local communities in the #Khoadi //Hoas conservancy. Data was collected through participant observations and in-depth interviews with 50 purposively selected key informants. Thematic analyses of local newspapers and NACSO reports were used to interrogate the subject. The findings revealed that black rhino tracking has led to improved stewardship, recovery of the rhino population and sustainable development in the conservancy. However, a more structured approach to benefits sharing and governance is recommended.
The role of atypical respiratory pathogens in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The aetiology of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is heterogeneous and still under discussion. Serological studies have suggested that Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila may play a role in acute exacerbations of COPD. The presence of these atypical pathogens in sputum samples was investigated in patients with stable COPD and with acute exacerbations of COPD using real-time PCR. The present study was part of a randomised, double-blind, single-centre study and a total of 248 sputum samples from 104 COPD patients were included. In total, 122 samples obtained during stable disease (stable-state sputa) and 126 samples obtained during acute exacerbations of COPD (exacerbation sputa) were tested. Of the 122 stable-state sputa, all samples were negative for M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae DNA, whereas one sample was positive for Legionella non-pneumophila DNA. Of the 126 exacerbation sputa, all samples were negative for M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae DNA, whereas one sample was positive for Legionella non-pneumophila DNA. The possible relationship between the presence of atypical pathogens and the aetiology of acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was investigated in patients with stable disease and in those with acute exacerbations using real-time PCR. No indication was found of a role for Legionella spp. , Chlamydia pneumoniae or Mycoplasma pneumoniae in stable, moderately severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in its exacerbations.
Changes in Lipoprotein‐Associated Phospholipase A2 Activity Predict Coronary Events and Partly Account for the Treatment Effect of Pravastatin: Results From the Long‐term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease Study

Background Lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 (Lp‐PLA2) levels are associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy individuals and in patients who have had ischemic events. Methods and Results The Long‐term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease (LIPID) study randomized 9014 patients with cholesterol levels of 4.0 to 7.0 mmol/L to placebo or pravastatin 3 to 36 months after myocardial infarction or unstable angina and showed a reduction in CHD and total mortality. We assessed the value of baseline and change in Lp‐PLA2 activity to predict outcomes over a 6‐year follow‐up, the effect of pravastatin on Lp‐PLA2 levels, and whether pravastatin treatment effect was related to Lp‐PLA2 activity change. Lp‐PLA2 was measured at randomization and 1 year, and levels were grouped as quartiles. The prespecified end point was CHD death or nonfatal myocardial infarction. Baseline Lp‐PLA2 activity was positively associated with CHD events (P<0.001) but not after adjustment for 23 baseline factors (P=0.66). In 6518 patients who were event free at 1 year, change in Lp‐PLA2 was a significant independent predictor of subsequent CHD events after adjustment for these risk factors, including LDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol changes (P<0.001). Pravastatin reduced Lp‐PLA2 by 16% compared with placebo (P<0.001). After adjustment for Lp‐PLA2 change, the pravastatin treatment effect was reduced from 23% to 10% (P=0.26), with 59% of the treatment effect accounted for by changes in Lp‐PLA2. Similar reductions in treatment effect were seen after adjustment for LDL cholesterol change. Conclusion Reduction in Lp‐PLA2 activity during the first year was a highly significant predictor of CHD events, independent of change in LDL cholesterol, and may account for over half of the benefits of pravastatin in the LIPID study.
Maternal Wave Reflections and Arterial Stiffness in Normal Pregnancy as Assessed by Applanation Tonometry

Normal pregnancy is associated with profound alterations in the maternal cardiovascular system. The aim of the present study was to assess noninvasively, using applanation tonometry, the maternal central aortic blood pressures (BP), effects of wave reflection and arterial stiffness (aortic and brachial pulse wave velocity) in normal pregnancy. This was a cross sectional study including 193 women with normal singleton pregnancies at 11 to 41 weeks of gestation and 23 nonpregnant controls, matched for age and height. Compared to nonpregnant controls, pregnant women had lower mean arterial pressure (85±8.9 mm Hg versus 81.1±7.2 mm Hg; P=0.01), central systolic BP (103±11 mm Hg versus 96±8 mm Hg, P=0.001), central diastolic BP (71±9 mm Hg versus 67±7 mm Hg, P=0.008), and augmentation index (AIx) (19±11% versus 4±12%, P<0.001). The AIx changed significantly with gestation reaching its nadir at midpregnancy (R2=0.05, P=0.007). This change was present even after adjusting for maternal age (P<0.001), heart rate (P<0.001), and mean arterial BP (P<0.001); known determinants of AIx. The pulse wave velocity (carotid-radial and carotid-femoral) did not change significantly with gestation and was marginally different between pregnant and nonpregnant women (P=0.03 and P=0.05 for carotid-radial and carotid-femoral respectively). However, adjustments for maternal age and mean arterial pressure rendered these differences nonsignificant (P=0.2 for carotid-radial, P=0.5 for carotid-femoral). In summary, we found that normal pregnancy is associated with a reduction in central BP and wave reflection.
Inflammatory Markers in Intrauterine and Fetal Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Compartments Are Associated with Adverse Pulmonary and Neurologic Outcomes in Preterm Infants

Recent evidence strongly implicates the inflammatory response to intrauterine infection in the pathogenesis of neonatal brain and lung injury. We hypothesized that lung and brain injury in preterm infants occurs during a common developmental window of vulnerability as the result of an inflammatory response in different compartments. To determine whether inflammatory markers in these compartments are associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or cranial ultrasound (CUS) abnormalities in infants <33 wk gestation age (GA) and <1501 g birth weight, we analyzed placental pathology and serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations in 276 infants. Logistic regressions were performed stratified by GA. Histologic chorioamnionitis was significantly associated with BPD in infants ≤28 wk GA (OR 3.6, p = 0.027). Maternal stage of chorioamnionitis significantly correlated with severity of BPD. Presence of a fetal inflammatory response indicated by fetal vasculitis or elevated cytokines was not associated with the development of BPD. Serum IL-6 ≥17 pg/mL was associated with an abnormal CUS in infants >28 wk GA (OR 3.36, p = 0.023) but not ≤28 wk GA. CSF concentrations of IL-6 ≥6.5 pg/mL and TNF-α ≥3 pg/mL were associated with abnormal CUS in infants ≤28 wk GA (IL-6 OR 3.0; TNF-α OR 3.5; p < 0.05 each case) but not ≥28 wk GA. These data suggest that in infants ≤28 wks GA, BPD may be initiated by inflammatory mediators in amniotic fluid, but brain injury may involve variations in the systemic inflammatory response.
Self-redundancy in Music

Where a structural analysis can be produced for a musical artefact, variants of the artefact can often be obtained by `inverting' the analysis, in much the same way we produce novel sentences from a grammar. The paper describes use of information theory for purposes of deriving structural analyses of sequences, and shows how the method can be used with musical data, for purposes of generating novel musical patterns.
Polygenic and directional regulatory evolution across pathways in Saccharomyces

The search to understand how genomes innovate in response to selection dominates the field of evolutionary biology. Powerful molecular evolution approaches have been developed to test individual loci for signatures of selection. In many cases, however, an organism's response to changes in selective pressure may be mediated by multiple genes, whose products function together in a cellular process or pathway. Here we assess the prevalence of polygenic evolution in pathways in the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. bayanus. We first established short-read sequencing methods to detect cis-regulatory variation in a diploid hybrid between the species. We then tested for the scenario in which selective pressure in one species to increase or decrease the activity of a pathway has driven the accumulation of cis-regulatory variants that act in the same direction on gene expression. Application of this test revealed a variety of yeast pathways with evidence for directional regulatory evolution. In parallel, we also used population genomic sequencing data to compare protein and cis-regulatory variation within and between species. We identified pathways with evidence for divergence within S. cerevisiae, and we detected signatures of positive selection between S. cerevisiae and S. bayanus. Our results point to polygenic, pathway-level change as a common evolutionary mechanism among yeasts. We suggest that pathway analyses, including our test for directional regulatory evolution, will prove to be a relevant and powerful strategy in many evolutionary genomic applications.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mortality in Italy, 1958 to 1987

We analyzed the mortality rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Italy from 1958 to 1987. The overall mean annual mortality rate, adjusted to the 1981 Italian population, was 0.68/100,000 (95% confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.72); 0.86 for men; and 0.62 for women. During that period, mortality increased for both sexes: from 1958/1962 to 1983/1987, mortality increased by 60% for women and 24% for men. The slope for women was 0.07, and for men, 0.02. Moreover, the mortality rate increased in older age groups and was stable for subjects under 45 years old. There was no clear birth-cohort effect, but in any cohort the age-specific mortality rate increased with advancing age, with no decline for the oldest age. Based on these data, the increase of ALS mortality rates is probably due to the effect of changing methodologic and demographic variables and the decrease of mortality of some competing diseases, rather than a real rise of the risk in the whole population or in specific birth cohorts.
Primary Adrenal Leiomyosarcoma: a Case Report and Literature Review

The case presented here illustrates a 75 year old female patient who underwent surgical resection of a right adrenal mass of uncertain nature. The final histological diagnosis was consistent with leiomyosarcoma arising from the adrenal anatomic site. Primary leiomyosarcoma of the adrenal gland is a very rare malignant mesenchymal neoplasm: to our knowledge, this is only the twelfth case reported in literature. We describe the clinical course and a brief review of clinical and histological features, biologic behaviour, diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies.
Tropical forcing of Circumpolar Deep Water Inflow and outlet glacier thinning in the Amundsen Sea Embayment, West Antarctica

Abstract Outlet glaciers draining the Antarctic ice sheet into the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) have accelerated in recent decades, most likely as a result of increased melting of their ice-shelf termini by warm Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW). An ocean model forced with climate reanalysis data shows that, beginning in the early 1990s, an increase in westerly wind stress near the continental shelf edge drove an increase in CDW inflow onto the shelf. The change in local wind stress occurred predominantly in fall and early winter, associated with anomalous high sea-level pressure (SLP) to the north of the ASE and an increase in sea surface temperature (SST) in the central tropical Pacific. The SLP change is associated with geopotential height anomalies in the middle and upper troposphere, characteristic of a stationary Rossby wave response to tropical SST forcing, rather than with changes in the zonally symmetric circulation. Tropical Pacific warming similar to that of the 1990s occurred in the 1940s, and thus is a candidate for initiating the current period of ASE glacier retreat.