Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SLICOTS: An SDN-Based Lightweight Countermeasure for TCP SYN Flooding Attacks

Software defined networking (SDN) is a novel networking paradigm which decouples control plane from data plane. This separation facilitates a high level of programmability and manageability. On the other hand, it makes the SDN controller a bottleneck and hence vulnerable to control plane saturation attack. One of the key mechanism to achieve control plane saturation is via TCP SYN flooding attack. This is one of the most effective and popular denial of service attack, in which the attacker produces many half-open TCP connections on the targeted server in order to degrade its availability. Furthermore, when applied to SDN, TCP SYN flooding attack also introduces control plane saturation attack. In particular, the attacker generates a significant number of TCP SYN packets and imposes data plane switches to forward them to the controller. As a result, the performance of the controller degrades and the controller will not be able to respond genuine requests in acceptable time. In this paper, we propose SLICOTS, an effective and efficient countermeasure to mitigate TCP SYN flooding attack in SDN. SLICOTS takes the advantage of dynamic programmability nature of SDN to detect and prevent attacks. SLICOTS is implemented in the controller, it surveils ongoing TCP connection requests, and blocks malicious hosts. We implemented SLICOTS as an extension module of OpenDayLight controller and evaluated it under different attack scenarios. The experimental results confirm that, compared to the state-of-art, SLICOTS reduces the response time overhead up to some 50%, while ensuring the same level of protection.
Receptor Binding, Fusion Inhibition, and Induction of Cross-Reactive Neutralizing Antibodies by a Soluble G Glycoprotein of Hendra Virus

ABSTRACT Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) are closely related emerging viruses comprising the Henipavirus genus of the Paramyxovirinae, which are distinguished by their ability to cause fatal disease in both animal and human hosts. These viruses infect cells by a pH-independent membrane fusion event mediated by their attachment (G) and fusion (F) glycoproteins. Previously, we reported on HeV- and NiV-mediated fusion activities and detailed their host-cell tropism characteristics. These studies also suggested that a common cell surface receptor, which could be destroyed by protease, was utilized by both viruses. To further characterize the G glycoprotein and its unknown receptor, soluble forms of HeV G (sG) were constructed by replacing its cytoplasmic tail and transmembrane domains with an immunoglobulin κ leader sequence coupled to either an S-peptide tag (sGS-tag) or myc-epitope tag (sGmyc-tag) to facilitate purification and detection. Expression of sG was verified in cell lysates and culture supernatants by specific affinity precipitation. Analysis of sG by size exclusion chromatography and sucrose gradient centrifugation demonstrated tetrameric, dimeric, and monomeric species, with the majority of the sG released as a disulfide-linked dimer. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that sG specifically bound to HeV and NiV infection-permissive cells but not to a nonpermissive HeLa cell line clone, suggesting that it binds to virus receptor on host cells. Preincubation of host cells with sG resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of both HeV and NiV cell fusion as well as infection by live virus. Taken together, these data indicate that sG retains important native structural features, and we further demonstrate that administration of sG to rabbits can elicit a potent cross-reactive neutralizing antibody response against infectious HeV and NiV. This HeV sG glycoprotein will be exceedingly useful for structural studies, receptor identification strategies, and vaccine development goals for these important emerging viral agents.
Promoting the Rule of Law through the Principle of Subsidiarity in the African Union: A Critical Perspective

The relationship between African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (recs) frameworks, especially as it relates to the application of the principle of subsidiarity to intervention that aims to ensure strict adherence to democratic standards, is at the heart of this article. Although there exists a 2007 ‘Draft Protocol on the Relations Between the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities’, it is yet to be adopted, and more importantly, its provisions are ambiguous. The same problem of ambiguity applies to the 2008 ‘Memorandum of Understanding (mou) on Cooperation in the Area of Peace and Security Between the African Union, The Regional Economic Communities and the Coordinating Mechanism of The Regional Standby Brigades of Eastern Africa and Northern Africa’. The lack of a consistent approach to situations in Burundi, The Gambia and Zambia, has since raised the question of subsidiarity, or to put it more specifically, the vague articulation of the concept in the AU. In redressing this problem, the article provides some normative suggestions on how to ensure the effective application of the principle of subsidiarity in advancing democracy and good governance in Africa.
Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Hemodialysis Patients: Predictive Value for Hemodynamic Change during Hemodialysis and Cardiac Function

Background: Though brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is widely used as a clinical marker of cardiac function, there is considerable confusion in the interpretation of its value in hemodialysis (HD) patients whose BNPs are often elevated without cardiac diseases. The aim of the present study is to examine the predictive value of BNP for blood pressure (BP) fall during HD and cardiac function. Methods: Subjects consisted of 205 (160 males, 45 females; age 66.5 ± 10.5 years) consecutive uremic patients requiring maintenance HD who were admitted to our hospital during 2001–2004. One hundred and eleven cases had a history of ischemic heart disease. We measured BNP in all cases and collected clinical data including age, sex, duration of HD, blood examination and echocardiography. Results: BNP of all 205 cases ranged from 6 to 16,097 pg/ml (median 831). During HD, the average BP change was –24.5 ± 20.5 mm Hg, and 111 cases showed a systolic BP reduction >20 mm Hg. BNP did not predict the degree of BP fall. After adjusting confounding factors, the presence of ischemic heart disease, ultrafiltration rate, systolic BP before HD and serum sodium concentration showed a significant correlation with BP change (t = –2.84, –2.76, –4.68 and 2.90; p = 0.005, <0.01, <0.0001 and <0.005, respectively). In relation to echocardiographic indices, BNP >785 pg/ml could predict left ventricular dysfunction (fractional shortening of the left ventricle <30%, sensitivity 73%, specificity 65%). Conclusion: The level of BNP could not predict BP fall during HD. However, BNP is a good indicator of cardiac function even in uremic patients.
Sound‐generating and ‐detecting motor system in catfish: Design of swimbladder muscles in doradids and pimelodids

Catfishes have evolved a diversity of swimbladder muscles serving in the generation of different sounds and probably other acoustic functions. In order to find out if anatomical and acoustical differences are parallelled by fine structural differences, I examined the sonic muscles of the doradid Platydoras and the pimelodid Pimelodus by gross dissections and ultrastructural methods. In Platydoras, the sound‐generating (drumming) muscle (DM) inserts on a dorsal bony plate that vibrates the swimbladder. In pimelodids, the large DM attaches directly on the ventral surface of the swimbladder, whereas the small tensor tripodis muscle (TT) inserts on the rostral surface near the tripus, the most caudal Weberian ossicle. Fibers of all three muscles possess an extensive development of sarcoplasmatic reticulum (SR) in association with very thin myofibrils (MF) but differed widely in their arrangement. In Platydoras, ribbons of MFs are arranged radially around a central core. Mitochondria were found within the core and the peripheral sarcoplasm. Pimelodus does not have a differentiated core and the cross‐sectional area of DM‐MFs is about 15% larger as determined by stereological measurements. The TT possesses shorter sarcomeres and more mitochondria than DMs, which were primarily found between MFs. This suggests faster contraction properties and greater resistence to fatigue compared with sonic muscles. Data indicate that the higher amount of DM‐myofibrils in pimelodids might result in stronger muscle contractions and, presumably, in higher sound intensities. The fine structure of the TT reveals that contractions most likely prevent transmission of swimbladder vibrations to the inner ear via the Weberian ossicles during vocalization. Anat Rec 263:297–306, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mycophenolate mofetil inhibits intimal hyperplasia and attenuates the expression of genes favouring smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration.

AIM Intimal hyperplasia remains the leading cause of late graft failure following heart transplantation. The immunosuppressive drug mycophenolate mofetil has been shown to inhibit the development of intimal hyperplasia. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a combination of mycophenolate mofetil, calcineurin inhibition, and sirolimus on the development of intimal hyperplasia. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats received mycophenolate mofetil (30 mg/kg per day) and either tacrolimus (0.1 mg/kg per day), cyclosporine (5 mg/kg per day), or sirolimus (0.05 mg/kg per day) and were compared to an untreated control group. All animals underwent left common carotid artery balloon angioplasty. Morphometric analysis was performed on representative transverse sections, and intima medial ratios calculated at 2 weeks. Profibrotic gene expression was assessed with competitive RT-PCR at 2 weeks for metalloproteinase-2, metalloproteinase-9, TIMP-1, collagen III, and TGF-beta. Sections were stained with sirius red, and extracellular matrix deposition was quantified. RESULTS Mycophenolate mofetil in combination with rapamycin was associated with the greatest reduction in intimal thickening (intima medial ratio 0.79; range 0.45-0.86), compared to its combination with either cyclosporine (1.41; range 1.06-1.68, P < .02) or tacrolimus (0.93; range 0.81-1.37, P < .05) and controls (1.47; range 1.02-2.04, P < .005). Mycophenolate mofetil and rapamycin significantly inhibited all profibrotic genes studied compared to controls (P < .01) but there were no differences between tacrolimus and cyclosporine. Mycophenolate mofetil and sirolimus significantly attenuated extracellular matrix deposition compared to tacrolimus and cyclosporin (P < .023). CONCLUSION The benefits of mycophenolate mofetil in combination with sirolimus are preferential over those with cyclosporine or tacrolimus. Randomised trials are warranted to assess if mycophenolate mofetil should be an alternative agent to calcineurin-inhibitors when used in combination with sirolimus.
Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Apoptotic Effects of Fumonisin B1, an Inhibitor of Ceramide Synthase, in a Rodent Model of Splanchnic Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury

Ceramide is a sphingolipid with potent proinflammatory and proapoptotic properties. This study sought to determine whether pharmacological inhibition of ceramide biosynthesis in the intestine attenuates pathophysiological sequelae of shock induced by splanchnic artery occlusion and reperfusion. Ischemia and reperfusion injury was induced in anesthetized rats by clamping both the superior mesenteric artery and the celiac artery for 45 min followed by reperfusion. Within 6 min after reperfusion, animals developed significant systemic hypotension with 100% of the animals dying during the 4-h period of reperfusion. In parallel experiments, animals were necropsied after 60 min of reperfusion, and the ileum was harvested for histological examination and assessment of biochemical changes. Administration of fumonisin B1 (FB1), a competitive and reversible inhibitor of ceramide synthase (3 mg/kg, 15 min before reperfusion), significantly reduced i) the increased ceramide expression as detected by immunohistochemistry; ii) peroxynitrite-mediated protein nitration; iii) infiltration of the reperfused intestine with polymorphonuclear neutrophils following a decrease in intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression; iv) production of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α; and v) apoptosis in the ileum. Overall, tissue-protective effects were clearly observed upon histological examination of the ileum. These beneficial events were ultimately linked to decreases in both the development of hypotension and overall mortality. These results implicate ceramide as a key signaling molecule in splanchnic arterial ischemia and reperfusion-induced shock. The broader implications of our results provide a pharmacological rationale for the development of inhibitors of ceramide biosynthesis as novel therapeutics for ischemia and reperfusion-induced shock of several etiologies.
Educational and occupational underattainment in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a controlled study.

OBJECTIVE Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been consistently associated with intellectual, educational, and employment deficits. This study evaluated subjects to determine whether the educational and occupational deficits associated with ADHD are what would be expected given their intellectual abilities or lower than expected given their intellectual abilities. METHOD Participants derived from a case-control study of adults with (N = 224) and without (N = 146) DSM-IV ADHD. Subjects were comprehensively assessed with structured diagnostic interviews and neuropsychological assessments. Educational and occupational attainments were based on Hollingshead socioeconomic status scale. The expected educational and occupational levels of participants with ADHD were computed using ordered logistic regression models as a function of age, sex, and full scale IQ of controls. The study was conducted from 1998 to 2003. RESULTS Based on their IQ, subjects with ADHD were predicted to have significantly more education than they actually attained. Additionally, based on their observed education, participants with ADHD were predicted to have significantly higher occupational levels than actually observed. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that ADHD is associated with significant educational and occupational underattainments relative to what would have been expected on the basis of intellectual potential.
Evaluating outcome-based payment programmes: challenges for evidence-based policy

ABSTRACT We review the state of evaluation within outcome-based commissioning in the United Kingdom. This is the first review to include empirical evaluations of both PbR and SIB programmes. We find a paucity of evaluation and that the quality of evaluations is not high. Moreover, studies tend to conflate the outcomes-based commissioning mechanism with the intervention or services that are funded, and are unable to assess the contribution of these separate elements to impact. Our review also highlights the challenges faced by evaluators in measuring social outcomes. We suggest ways to address these challenges.
Cortical hand bone loss after 1 year in early rheumatoid arthritis predicts radiographic hand joint damage at 5-year and 10-year follow-up

Objective: To examine 1-year hand bone loss in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a predictor of radiographic damage at 5-year and 10-year follow-up Methods: A total of 136 patients with RA (disease duration 0–4 years) were followed for 10 years with clinical data and hand radiographs. Joint damage was scored according to the van der Heijde modification of the Sharp method (vdH Sharp score) and hand bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by digital x ray radiogrammetry (DXR). Group comparisons, correlation analyses and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between hand bone loss and radiographic joint damage. Results: Patients with hand BMD loss at 1 year had a higher median increase in vdH Sharp score compared to patients without loss at 5 years (12 vs 2, p = 0.001) and 10 years (22 vs 4, p = 0.002). In a linear regression model adjusting for age, gender, baseline C-reactive protein (CRP), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP), IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) and radiographic damage, absolute hand DXR-BMD loss at 1 year was an independent predictor of radiographic outcome at 5 years (p<0.01) and 10 years (p = 0.02). In a logistic regression model the odds ratio (95% CI) for radiographic progression among patients with hand BMD loss was 3.5 (1.4 to 8.8) and 3.5 (1.4 to 8.4) at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Conclusion: Early hand bone loss measured by DXR-BMD is an independent predictor of subsequent radiographic damage. Our findings support that quantitative hand bone loss in RA precedes radiographic joint damage and may be used as a tool for assessment of bone involvement in RA.
In vivo pH in metabolic‐defective Ras‐transformed fibroblast tumors: Key role of the monocarboxylate transporter, MCT4, for inducing an alkaline intracellular pH

We present an investigation of tumor pH regulation, designed to support a new anticancer therapy concept that we had previously proposed. Our study uses a tumor model of ras‐transformed hamster fibroblasts, CCL39, xenografted in the thighs of nude mice. We demonstrate, for the first time, that genetic modifications of specific mechanisms of proton production and/or proton transport result in distinct, reproducible changes in intracellular and extracellular tumor pH that can be detected and quantified noninvasively in vivo, simultaneously with determinations of tumor energetic status and necrosis in the same experiment. The CCL39 variants used were deficient in the sodium/proton exchanger, NHE‐1, and/or in the monocarboxylate transporter, MCT4; further, variants were deficient in glycolysis or respiration. MCT4 expression markedly increased the gradient between intracellular and extracellular pH from 0.14 to 0.43 when compared to CCL39 wild‐type tumors not expressing MCT4. The other genetic modifications studied produced smaller but significant increases in intracellular and decreases in extracellular pH. In general, increased pH gradients were paralleled by increased tumor growth performance and diminished necrotic regions, and 50% of the CCL39 variant expressing neither MCT4 nor NHE‐1, but possessing full genetic capacity for glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, underwent regression before reaching a 1‐cm diameter. Except for CCL39 wild‐type tumors, no significant HIF‐1α expression was detected. Our in vivo results support a multipronged approach to tumor treatment based on minimizing intracellular pH by targeting several proton production and proton transport processes, among which the very efficient MCT4 proton/lactate co‐transport deserves particular attention.
Volatility Spillovers in Energy Markets

We investigate the extent and evolution of the links between energy markets using a broad data set consisting of a total of 17 series of prices for commodities such as electricity, natural gas, coal, oil and carbon. The results shed light on a number of relevant issues such as the volatility spillover effect in energy markets (within and across sectors) and the identification of those markets that are exporters (importers) of volatility to (from) other markets, as well as evidence of the time-varying nature of these effects. The main conclusions are: (i) the most integrated European electricity markets appear to be those of Germany, France and the Netherlands; (ii) the Dutch Title Transfer Facility might be on the way to becoming the benchmark price for natural gas in Europe, and (iii) natural gas may be replacing crude oil as the global benchmark price for energy commodities.
Migraine: Epidemiology, Impact, and Risk Factors for Progression

Migraine is a chronic and sometimes progressive disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of headache and associated symptoms. This article reviews the epidemiology of and the risk factors for migraine described in population studies, and discusses the burden of disease and the socioeconomic costs of migraine. In the years prior to puberty, migraine is more common among boys than girls. By the onset of puberty, migraine is more prevalent in girls, and by the late teens, females are about twice as likely to suffer from migraine as males. The prevalence of migraine peaks in both sexes during the most productive years of adulthood (age 25 to 55 years) and, in the United States, the prevalence is higher in individuals of lower socioeconomic status. Direct costs of migraine include the cost of migraine medications and health care expenses. Indirect costs associated with migraine include reduced productivity due to absenteeism and reduced performance while at work. Recent evidence suggests that a subgroup of migraine patients may have a clinically progressive disorder. Future epidemiologic studies should focus on identifying patients who are at higher risk for progression and on assessing the impact of intervention strategies on disease progression.
[Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of infective endocarditis].

OBJECTIVES We evaluated the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with infective endocarditis (IE). STUDY DESIGN During a five-year period (January 2002-December 2006), 96 patients (56 men, 40 women; mean age 47+/-15 years; range 16 to 81 years) were treated and followed for IE. All the patients underwent transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients were reviewed. All cases of prosthetic valve endocarditis were late-onset IE. Blood samples were cultured in both aerobic and anaerobic media and incubated for 21 days. The diagnosis of IE was made according to the Duke criteria. RESULTS Male-to-female ratio was 1.4. The most common complaint on presentation was dyspnea (n=58, 60.4%), followed by fever (n=20, 20.8%), and fatigue (n=16, 16.7%). The mean follow-up period was 21+/-12 days (range 2 to 52 days). While transthoracic echocardiography was sufficient to detect vegetations in 69 patients (71.9%), IE lesions could be demonstrated by transesophageal echocardiography in 27 patients (28.1%). The most common involvement was seen in the mitral valve (54.2%), and the incidence of native valve involvement (79.2%) was greater than that of prosthetic valve involvement. Forty-nine patients (51%) were submitted to surgery. In-hospital mortality occurred in 12 patients (12.5%). The prevalence of IE among all patients hospitalized in cardiology department was 0.13%. The culprit microorganism was isolated in only 36 patients (37.5%), being staphylococci (33.3%), enterococci (27.8%), brucellae (22.2%), and streptococci (11.1%). CONCLUSION The diagnosis and treatment of IE should be designed taking into consideration that epidemiologic and clinical features of IE may differ from those of individual countries.