Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Keynote Paper: Search Based Software Testing for Software Security: Breaking Code to Make it Safer

Ensuring security of software and computerized systems is a pervasive problemplaguing companies and institutions and affecting many areas of modern life.Software vulnerability may jeopardize information confidentiality and cause software failure leading tocatastrophic threats to humansor severe economic losses.Size, complexity, extensibility, connectivity and the search for cheapsystems make it very hard or even impossible to manually tacklevulnerability detection.Search based software testing attempts to solve two aspects of the cost - vulnerabilityproblem. First, it's cheaper because itis far less labor intensive when compared to traditional testing techniques.As a result, it can be used to more thoroughly testsoftware and reduce the risk that a vulnerabilityslips into production code. Also, search based software testing canbe specifically tailored to tacklethe subset of well known security vulnerabilities responsible formost security threats.This paper is divided into two parts. It examines promisingsearch based testing approaches to detecting software vulnerabilities, and then presentssome of the most interesting open research problems.
Acceleration of Age-Related Hearing Loss by Early Noise Exposure: Evidence of a Misspent Youth

Age-related and noise-induced hearing losses in humans are multifactorial, with contributions from, and potential interactions among, numerous variables that can shape final outcome. A recent retrospective clinical study suggests an age–noise interaction that exacerbates age-related hearing loss in previously noise-damaged ears (Gates et al., 2000). Here, we address the issue in an animal model by comparing noise-induced and age-related hearing loss (NIHL; AHL) in groups of CBA/CaJ mice exposed identically (8–16 kHz noise band at 100 dB sound pressure level for 2 h) but at different ages (4–124 weeks) and held with unexposed cohorts for different postexposure times (2–96 weeks). When evaluated 2 weeks after exposure, maximum threshold shifts in young-exposed animals (4–8 weeks) were 40–50 dB; older-exposed animals (≥16 weeks) showed essentially no shift at the same postexposure time. However, when held for long postexposure times, animals with previous exposure demonstrated AHL and histopathology fundamentally unlike unexposed, aging animals or old-exposed animals held for 2 weeks only. Specifically, they showed substantial, ongoing deterioration of cochlear neural responses, without additional change in preneural responses, and corresponding histologic evidence of primary neural degeneration throughout the cochlea. This was true particularly for young-exposed animals; however, delayed neuropathy was observed in all noise-exposed animals held 96 weeks after exposure, even those that showed no NIHL 2 weeks after exposure. Data suggest that pathologic but sublethal changes initiated by early noise exposure render the inner ears significantly more vulnerable to aging.
Correlation Between Anthropometric, Physical Fitness Traits, Lung Capacity, and Success of Iranian Elite Greco-Roman Wrestlers

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate how lung capacity and anthropometric and physical fitness traits are associated with success of Iranian elite Greco-Roman wrestlers. Methods: Twenty-five male Iranian elite Greco-Roman wrestlers (22± 4 years old) (both of light and heavy weights) participated in the present study. Anthropometric characteristics, physical fitness traits, and lung capacity were tested in the exercise physiology laboratory. Results: Our results showed a significant and positive correlation between arm span, as the only anthropometric trait, and success of Iranian elite Greco-Roman wrestlers. Also, maximal oxygen consumption, dead lift, squat, bench press, agility, shoulder and wrist elevation, sit and reach, eye/left hand reaction time, eye/foot reaction time, ear/left hand reaction time, ear/foot reaction time were positively correlated with success. Furthermore, there were significant and positive correlations between inspiratory reserve volume, tidal volume, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume (in one second), maximal voluntary ventilation, and success. In contrast, we observed a negative and significant correlation between body fat (%) and success of Iranian elite Greco-Roman wrestlers. Conclusions: Physical fitness traits and lung capacity have a greater potential than anthropometric characteristics in the prediction of Greco-Roman wrestler’s success in championship levels.
Microtubule transport and assembly during axon growth

There is controversy concerning the mechanisms by which the axonal microtubule (MT) array is elaborated, with some models focusing on MT assembly and other models focusing on MT transport. We have proposed a composite model in which MT assembly and transport are both important (Joshi, H.C., and P.W. Baas. 1993. J. Cell Biol. 121:1191-1196). In the present study, we have taken a novel approach to evaluate the merits of this proposal. Biotinylated tubulin was microinjected into cultured neurons that had already grown short axons. The axons were then permitted to grow longer, after which the cells were prepared for immunoelectron microscopic analyses. We reasoned that any polymer that assembled or turned over subunits after the introduction of the probe should label for biotin, while any polymer that was already assembled but did not turnover should not label. Therefore, the presence in the newly grown region of the axon of any unlabeled MT polymer is indicative of MT transport. In sampled regions, the majority of the polymer was labeled, indicating that MT assembly events are active during axon growth. Varying amounts of unlabeled polymer were also present in the newly grown regions, indicating that MT transport also occurs. Together these findings demonstrate that MT assembly and transport both contribute to the elaboration of the axonal MT array.
Combined CD133/CD44 expression as a prognostic indicator of disease-free survival in patients with colorectal cancer.

HYPOTHESIS Because of some inconsistencies in the traditional model of human colorectal carcinogenesis, the cancer stem cell (CSC) model was recently proposed, in which tumor results from neoplastic transformation of stem cells, which become CSCs. Identification of CSCs by expression of surface antigens remains a critical issue because no biomarker has been shown to be completely reliable. CD133 and CD44 are commonly used as CSC markers, and correlation of their expression with colorectal cancer (CRC) clinicopathological features and outcomes may be useful. DESIGN Pilot study. SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS Thirty-six consecutive patients with CRC. CD133 and CD44 expression (alone or combined) was determined in nontumor cells and in tumor cells by flow cytometry, which identified viable cells only. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Correlation of CD133 and CD44 expression with each other, with other prognostic indicators, and with disease-free survival. RESULTS CD133 and CD44 expression was significantly higher in tumor cells than in nontumor cells, and expression of one did not necessarily correlate with expression of the other. CD133 or CD44 expression alone was variable, while combined CD133/CD44 expression identified a small subset of cells positive for CRC. CD133 or CD44 overexpression was not associated with CRC recurrence; only high frequencies of CD133(+)/CD44(+) cells were a strong indicator of worse disease-free survival and an independent risk factor for CRC recurrence. CONCLUSION Evaluation of combined CD133/CD44 expression could be useful to identify putative colorectal CSCs and tumors with a poor prognosis.
Common-Mode Voltage Reduction Pulsewidth Modulation Techniques for Three-Phase Grid-Connected Converters

This paper experimentally investigates the performance of three-phase voltage source pulsewidth modulation (PWM) converter, with the grid interfaced photovoltaic energy conversion system being the main application. In such applications the ground leakage current [common mode current (CMC)] should be much less than an ampere and this is difficult to obtain in transformerless (direct) connected systems. With the target being the reduction of the common mode voltage (CMV) and CMC, the converter performance is investigated thoroughly. Conventional PWM methods [space vector PWM (SVPWM) and discontinuous PWM (DPWM)] and recently developed reduced common mode voltage PWM (RCMV-PWM) methods [active zero state PWM (AZSPWM) and near state PWM (NSPWM)] are considered. The performance of a 1-kW rated PWM rectifier with additional common-mode capacitor emulating a PV system has been experimentally investigated. It is shown that the CMV and CMC of the tested RCMV-PWM methods is significantly less than conventional methods. In particular, NSPWM yields the best overall performance including low ground leakage current, low inverter output (phase current) and input (dc-link current) ripple, and low switching losses. Accounting for the parasitic capacitance effect, the resonant frequency of the common-mode circuit is identified and it is used in the converter design for the purpose of avoiding resonances involving large CMV-CMC. This paper aims help the design engineer select the appropriate PWM method for grid-connected applications and provides some design rules of thumb.
Neural mechanisms of social-emotional dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder and conduct disorder

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and individuals with conduct disorder (CD) are characterized by notable impairments in social-emotional functioning. In this thesis social-emotional impairments were investigated using a cognitive neuroscience perspective (i.e., studying cognitive mechanisms and associated neural processes and structures). First, we directly compared groups of ASD and CD to test the hypothesized dissociable deficits in understanding other’s emotions in ASD in contrast to deficits in feeling other’s emotions in CD. This was done by comparing brain activity during basic emotion processing to assess cognitive and affective aspects of empathy, and by comparing white matter tracts that may underlie social-emotional processing. Second, we examined the neural processes at the level of social interactions in ASD and in CD, which has been overlooked by prior work, by studying interactive decision-making in response to other’s emotions. The results of the first part of this thesis show that different neural mechanisms underlie social-emotional difficulties in ASD and CD. Results of the second part imply that uncovering the neural correlates of interacting with others might lead to refined models of social-emotional deficits in ASD and CD that are different from previous accounts based on merely observing other’s emotions.
Division of labor among gay fathers: Associations with parent, couple, and child adjustment.

The present study examined division of labor among gay fathers, tested 3 major theories of division of labor (relative resource theory, time constraint theory, and life course theory), and evaluated associations between discrepancies among current and ideal divisions of labor, on the one hand, and parent well-being, couple functioning, and child adjustment, on the other. The sample consisted of 335 self-described gay fathers who took part in Wave 1 and 176 of those men who took part in Wave 2 of an Internet-based study. All of the participants identified themselves as gay fathers who currently had male partners and at least 1 child under 18 years of age residing in their home. Results showed that gay fathers reported having and desiring egalitarian divisions of labor and that time constraint theory and an aspect of life course theory were supported. Lastly, discrepancies between actual and ideal division of labor were associated with parental well-being and couple functioning but not children’s adjustment. The results add to understanding of the role that division of labor plays in parent, couple, and child adjustment among gay father families.
On weak maps between 2-groups

We give an explicit handy (and cocycle-free) description of the groupoid of weak maps between two crossed-modules in terms of certain digrams of groups which we we call a {\em butterflies}. We define composition of butterflies and this way find a bicategory that is naturally biequivalent to the 2-category of pointed homotopy 2-types. We indicate how certain standard notions of 2-group theory (e.g., kernels, cokernels, extension of 2-groups, and so on) find a simple description in terms of butterflies. We also discuss braided and abelian butterflies.
Diversification and Performance Measurement Problems : An International Investigation

The importance of performance in the strategy liter a u e is widely accepted among scholars and practitioners. However, the proxies for performance and diversification that have been employed in pas t strategy research has not been unanimously agreed u pon. Given the current state of confusion that exis ts with regard to the topic of diversification, perfor mance and its relationship within an international context, the present paper seeks to add to this bod y of knowledge and help resolved some discrepancies .
The Spatial Distribution of Galaxies of Different Spectral Types in the Massive Intermediate-Redshift Cluster MACS J0717.5+3745

We present the results of a wide-field spectroscopic analysis of the galaxy population of the massive cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 and the surrounding filamentary structure (z = 0.55), as part of our systematic study of the 12 most distant clusters in the MACS sample. Of 1368 galaxies spectroscopically observed in this field, 563 are identified as cluster members; of those, 203 are classified as emission-line galaxies, 260 as absorption-line galaxies, and 17 as E+A galaxies (defined by (H δ + H γ )/2 > 6 Å and no detection of [O II] and Hβ in emission). The variation of the fraction of emission- and absorption-line galaxies as a function of local projected galaxy density confirms the well-known morphology-density relation, and becomes flat at projected galaxy densities less than ~20 Mpc−2. Interestingly, 16 out of 17 E+A galaxies lie (in projection) within the ram-pressure stripping radius around the cluster core, which we take to be direct evidence that ram-pressure stripping is the primary mechanism that terminates star formation in the E+A population of galaxy clusters. This conclusion is supported by the rarity of E+A galaxies in the filament, which rules out galaxy mergers as the dominant driver of evolution for E+A galaxies in clusters. In addition, we find that the 42 e(a) and 27 e(b) member galaxies, i.e., the dusty-starburst and starburst galaxies respectively, are spread out across almost the entire study area. Their spatial distribution, which shows a strong preference for the filament region, suggests that starbursts are triggered in relatively low-density environments as galaxies are accreted from the field population.
Statutes of Limitations and Personal Identity

Legal theorists have proposed several theories to justify statutes of limitations in the criminal law, but none of these normative theories is generally accepted. This paper investigates the related descriptive question as to whether ordinary people have the intuition that legal punishment becomes less appropriate as time passes from the date of the offense and, if they do, what factors play a role in these intuitions. Five studies demonstrate that there is an intuitive statute of limitations on both legal punishment and moral criticism, and that these intuitions arise, in part, from judgments about changes in psychological connectedness over time.
Characterization of the Trans Watson-Crick GU Base Pair Located in the Catalytic Core of the Antigenomic HDV Ribozyme

The HDV ribozyme’s folding pathway is, by far, the most complex folding pathway elucidated to date for a small ribozyme. It includes 6 different steps that have been shown to occur before the chemical cleavage. It is likely that other steps remain to be discovered. One of the most critical of these unknown steps is the formation of the trans Watson-Crick GU base pair within loop III. The U23 and G28 nucleotides that form this base pair are perfectly conserved in all natural variants of the HDV ribozyme, and therefore are considered as being part of the signature of HDV-like ribozymes. Both the formation and the transformation of this base pair have been studied mainly by crystal structure and by molecular dynamic simulations. In order to obtain physical support for the formation of this base pair in solution, a set of experiments, including direct mutagenesis, the site-specific substitution of chemical groups, kinetic studies, chemical probing and magnesium-induced cleavage, were performed with the specific goal of characterizing this trans Watson-Crick GU base pair in an antigenomic HDV ribozyme. Both U23 and G28 can be substituted for nucleotides that likely preserve some of the H-bond interactions present before and after the cleavage step. The formation of the more stable trans Watson-Crick base pair is shown to be a post-cleavage event, while a possibly weaker trans Watson-Crick/Hoogsteen interaction seems to form before the cleavage step. The formation of this unusually stable post-cleavage base pair may act as a driving force on the chemical cleavage by favouring the formation of a more stable ground state of the product-ribozyme complex. To our knowledge, this represents the first demonstration of a potential stabilising role of a post-cleavage conformational switch event in a ribozyme-catalyzed reaction.
The Effect of Cotrimoxazole Prophylactic Treatment on Malaria, Birth Outcomes, and Postpartum CD4 Count in HIV-Infected Women

Background. Limited data exist on cotrimoxazole prophylactic treatment (CPT) in pregnant women, including protection against malaria versus standard intermittent preventive therapy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp). Methods. Using observational data we examined the effect of CPT in HIV-infected pregnant women on malaria during pregnancy, low birth weight and preterm birth using proportional hazards, logistic, and log binomial regression, respectively. We used linear regression to assess effect of CPT on CD4 count. Results. Data from 468 CPT-exposed and 768 CPT-unexposed women were analyzed. CPT was associated with protection against malaria versus IPTp (hazard ratio: 0.35, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.20, 0.60). After adjustment for time period this effect was not statistically significant (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.28, 1.52). Among women receiving and not receiving CPT, rates of low birth weight (7.1% versus 7.6%) and preterm birth (23.5% versus 23.6%) were similar. CPT was associated with lower CD4 counts 24 weeks postpartum in women receiving (−77.6 cells/μL, 95% CI: −125.2, −30.1) and not receiving antiretrovirals (−33.7 cells/μL, 95% CI: −58.6, −8.8). Conclusions. Compared to IPTp, CPT provided comparable protection against malaria in HIV-infected pregnant women and against preterm birth or low birth weight. Possible implications of CPT-associated lower CD4 postpartum warrant further examination.
Characterization of a DNA binding domain in the C-terminus of HIV-1 integrase by deletion mutagenesis.

The integrase (IN) protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) catalyzes site-specific cleavage of 2 bases from the viral long terminal repeat (LTR) sequence yet it binds DNA with little DNA sequence specificity. We have previously demonstrated that the C-terminal half of IN (amino acids 154-288) possesses a DNA binding domain. In order to further characterize this region, a series of clones expressing truncated forms of IN as N-terminal fusion proteins in E.coli were constructed and analyzed by Southwestern blotting. Proteins containing amino acids 1-263, 1-248 and 170-288 retained the ability to bind DNA, whereas a protein containing amino acids 1-180 showed no detectable DNA binding. This defines a DNA binding domain contained within amino acids 180-248. This region contains an arrangement of 9 lysine and arginine residues each separated by 2-4 amino acids (KxxxKxxxKxxxxRxxxRxxRxxxxKxxxKxxxK), spanning amino acids 211-244, which is conserved in all HIV-1 isolates. A clone expressing full-length IN with a C-terminal fusion of 16 amino acids was able to bind DNA comparably to a cloned protein with a free C-terminus, and an IN-specific monoclonal antibody which recognizes an epitope contained within amino acids 264-279 was unable to block DNA binding, supporting the evidence that a region necessary for binding lies upstream of amino acid 264.
Frequency of Use Leads to Automaticity of Production: Evidence from Repair in Conversation

In spontaneous speech, speakers sometimes replace a word they have just produced or started producing by another word. The present study reports that in these replacement repairs, low-frequency replaced words are more likely to be interrupted prior to completion than high-frequency words, providing support to the hypothesis that the production of high-frequency words is more automatic than the production of low-frequency words (Bybee, 2002; Logan, 1982). Frequency appears to have an effect on interruptibility even when word duration is statistically controlled. In addition, the frequency of the replaced word is positively correlated with the frequency of the word it is replaced by, supporting the hypothesis that high-frequency words are easier to access in production (Kittredge, Dell, Verkuilen, & Schwartz, 2008): vkapatsi@uoregon.edu the more frequent the target, the more frequent an inappropriate word needs to be to overcome the target and be uttered, only to be replaced.
“Developing That Balance”: Preparing and Supporting Special Education Teachers to Work With Paraprofessionals

The prominence of paraprofessionals in the education of students with severe disabilities highlights the importance of ensuring special education teachers provide effective supervision and support. The authors conducted in-depth individual interviews with members of nine educational teams—a total of 22 teachers and paraprofessionals—to identify (a) the competencies they consider important for special education teachers to work effectively with paraprofessionals and (b) their recommendations for equipping teachers to develop these competencies. Participants identified 10 competencies addressing three areas contributing to balanced leadership: knowledge, skills, and dispositions. They also recommended eight avenues for leadership development spanning three broad pathways: university-based preparation, school/district support, and personal development. The authors’ findings suggest the need to embed development of these competencies within existing training and support programs for teachers. The authors offer recommendations for future research and practice targeting teacher development in these areas.