Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TMAC: Taint-Based Memory Protection via Access Control

Memory corruption attacks account for most parts of malicious attacks toward software security. Recently dynamic taint analysis is proposed and is gaining momentum. This proposed technique attempts to defeat attacks by checking the taintedness and integrity of pointers when accessing memory since vulnerabilities are always motivated by tainting pointers. Unfortunately, there exists some class of attacks without tainting pointers, such as array bounds violation attacks using pointers. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to defeat this kind of undetected attacks using taint-based tracking analysis. Our notion is based on the memory access control, that is, first, we will check the taintedness of the pointers when accessing memory like existing taint-based approaches, second, we will check whether or not the memory area is in the legitimate range of a pointer used to access this memory. Our implementation dose not need source code and is based on Valgrind, hence works on commodity software. To demonstrate our idea, we performed a preliminary empirical experiments, the results are quite promising: TMAC can effectively detect a wide range of attacks, and the average runtime overhead is close to Memcheck, a widely memory error detector.
Mechanistic Analysis of the Amplification and Diversification Events Induced by Vav Proteins in B-lymphocytes*

Vav proteins participate in the assembly of a multibranched signal transduction pathway in lymphocytes, including the stimulation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B and the phospholipase C-γ/Ras GDP-releasing protein/Ras/Erk routes. In the present work, we used a genetic approach in chicken DT40 B-cell lines to investigate additional elements of the Vav route, the synergisms existing among the different Vav signaling branches, and the activities exerted by wild-type and oncogenic Vav proteins in B-lymphocytes. We show here that the Vav pathway is ramified in B-lymphocytes in additional diacylglycerol-dependent signaling branches such as those involving protein kinase C, protein kinase D, and phospholipase D. By using side-by-side comparisons of the activation levels of those signal transduction pathways in inhibitor-treated and knockout DT40 cells, we show that B-cells have different requirements regarding Vav proteins for the activation of antigen receptor downstream elements. Furthermore, we have detected interpathway cross-talk at the level of the most proximal elements but not among the most distal effector molecules of the Vav route. Finally, we show that the oncogenic versions of Vav1 and RhoA can activate alternative routes that could contribute to signal amplification and diversification events in transformed lymphocytes.
Nonstructural protein 3‐4A: the Swiss army knife of hepatitis C virus

Summary. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3‐4A (NS3‐4A) is a complex composed of NS3 and its cofactor NS4A. It harbours serine protease as well as NTPase/RNA helicase activities and is essential for viral polyprotein processing, RNA replication and virion formation. Specific inhibitors of the NS3‐4A protease significantly improve sustained virological response rates in patients with chronic hepatitis C when combined with pegylated interferon‐α and ribavirin. The NS3‐4A protease can also target selected cellular proteins, thereby blocking innate immune pathways and modulating growth factor signalling. Hence, NS3‐4A is not only an essential component of the viral replication complex and prime target for antiviral intervention but also a key player in the persistence and pathogenesis of HCV. This review provides a concise update on the biochemical and structural aspects of NS3‐4A, its role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C and the clinical development of NS3‐4A protease inhibitors.
Relative importance of different coloration, smell and shape in the predation of wasps: field experiments on hunting dragonflies (Odonata: Aeshna grandis)

Aposematism is a phenomenon, where poisonous or acrid prey signal their unprofitability to potential predators with conspicuous colouration or some other feature. The mechanisms of aposematism have – excluding a small number of exceptions – been studied from the vertebrate predators’ (especially birds) point of view. In contrast, the possible impact of invertebrate predators to the evolution of aposematism has gained only little interest. Dragonflies (Insecta; Odonata) are a numerous group of invertebrate predators that feed mainly on flying insects and exercise prey selection by vision. Although it has been reported that colours do work as cues in the mating systems of dragonflies no studies have been carried out tackling the question whether dragonflies use their colour vision when exercising prey selection. In the present field experiments I investigated whether hunting dragonflies (Odonata: Aeshna grandis) avoid attacking on wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespula norwegica), that are a highly unprofitable group of prey for most predators. Further, I was interested in finding out which features of the wasp – colouration, smell and shape – affect the attack rates of hunting dragonflies. To tackle these questions I carried out four field experiments. In the wasp avoidance experiment I offered four different types of living prey (black flies, black-and-yellow flies, black wasps and black-and-yellow wasps) to the hunting dragonflies. I stunned the prey items with carbon dioxide and manipulated all of them either with black or yellow paint. According to the results, the dragonflies avoided the wasps over the flies. Within the flies the black-and-yellow coloured individuals were significantly avoided over the black ones suggesting that aposematic colouration on harmless fly provided a selective advantage against invertebrate predators. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in the reactions towards the black and the black-andyellow wasps indicating that some other feature in wasps might work as well as an aposematic signal. In the next three experiments I studied the relative importance of the possible aposematic signals: coloration, shape and smell in wasps. First, I tested whether hunting dragonflies react differently on solid black, black-and-yellow striped and solid yellow artificial prey items. In accordance with the wasp experiment dragonflies clearlyavoided the black-and-yellow artificial prey items over the solid black or solid yellow ones. In the second experiment I used two artificial prey types (prey item soaked in mashed wasps and prey item soaked in mashed flies) to test if the smell of the prey alone causes different reactions against the prey. The results suggest that smell of the prey did not 4
Practice guidelines for sedation and analgesia by non-anesthesiologists. A report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Sedation and Analgesia by Non-Anesthesiologists.

ANESTHESIOLOGISTS possess specific expertise in the pharmacology, physiology, and clinical management of patients receiving sedation and analgesia. For this reason, they are frequently called on to participate in the development of institutional policies and procedures for sedation and analgesia for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. To assist in this process, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has developed these “Guidelines for Sedation and Analgesia by Non-Anesthesiologists. ” Practice guidelines are systematically developed recommendations that assist the practitioner and patient in making decisions about health care. These recommendations may be adopted, modified, or rejected according to clinical needs and constraints. Practice guidelines are not intended as standards or absolute requirements. The use of practice guidelines cannot guarantee any specific outcome. Practice guidelines are subject to revision as warranted by the evolution of medical knowledge, technology, and practice. The guidelines provide basic recommendations that are supported by analysis of the current literature and by a synthesis of expert opinion, open forum commentary, and clinical feasibility data. This revision includes data published since the “Guidelines for Sedation and Analgesia by Non-Anesthesiologists” were adopted by the ASA in 1995; it also includes data and recommendations for a wider range of sedation levels than was previously addressed.
A GENETIC VARIANT OF APOLIPOPROTEIN M INCREASES SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN A CHINESE POPULATION

1 High‐density lipoprotein (HDL) is widely accepted as a lipoprotein that protects against coronary artery and other atherosclerotic diseases. Recently, a new apolipoprotein encoded by the APOM gene, which plays an important role in affecting the intrinsic properties of HDL, has been reported. Genetic variations exist in the APOM gene, but their significance is presently unclear. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether the APOM T‐855C mutant allele is implicated in coronary artery disease (CAD). 2 In the present study, 418 patients with CAD and 372 controls were studied, all of whom were Han Chinese from Jiangsu Province, China. Plasma levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), HDL–cholesterol (HDL‐C) and low‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol (LDL‐C) were evaluated. Genomic DNA from the whole blood from these subjects was subjected to polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction enzyme digestion to determine genotype with respect to the APOM T‐855C polymorphism. 3 The allelic frequencies were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Plasma HDL levels were significantly lower in subjects with CAD than in control subjects (1.08 ± 0.31 vs 1.25 ± 0.32, respectively; P < 0.001) and the distribution of genotypes and allelic frequencies was significantly different in the two groups (P = 0.013 and 0.005, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age, gender, smoking, body mass index, hypertension and serum glucose showed that, compared with the wild‐type TT genotype, carriers of the C allele had an increased risk of CAD (odds ratio = 1.819, 95% confidence interval 1.142–2.898; P = 0.012). 4 In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that the APOM T‐855C polymorphism carries an increased risk for CAD in this Chinese population.
Durable responses after donor lymphocyte infusion for patients with residual multiple myeloma following non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplant

Abstract The role of donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) in mediating the graft-versus-myeloma (GvM) effect after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HCT) is not clearly defined. We evaluated the safety and utility of DLI in patients with either persistent or recurrent multiple myeloma (MM) after allo-HCT. Twenty-three patients with MM received DLI after allo-HCT at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between July 1996 and June 2008. Eight patients received preemptive DLI for residual disease (RD) while 15 patients received DLI for the treatment of recurrent or progressive disease (PD). We evaluated the response to DLI and the factors that may predict a response. Median DLI dose was 3.3 × 107 CD3 + cells (range 0.5–14.8 × 107). Grade II–IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) was seen in five patients (22%). Median follow-up in surviving patients was 24 months. Five of 23 patients (22%) achieved a complete or a very good partial response (two CR, three VGPR), while eight patients (34%) had stable disease (SD) after the DLI. Patients who received DLI for RD had a higher response rate (≥ VGPR 50% vs. 7%, p = 0.03), a longer overall survival (28.3 vs. 7.6 months, p = 0.03) and a trend toward longer progression-free survival (11.9 vs. 5.2 months, p = 0.1). In this largest single institution study, we conclude that the use of preemptive, non-manipulated DLI for RD after reduced-intensity conditioning allo-HCT is encouraging, and it was associated with a higher response rate and a longer overall survival when given preemptively. The role of DLI needs to be further explored in prospective clinical trials.
Measurements of B --> {pi,eta,eta;{'}}lnu_{l} branching fractions and determination of |V_{ub}| with semileptonically tagged B mesons.

We report measurements of branching fractions for the decays B-->Plnu_{l}, where P are the pseudoscalar charmless mesons pi;{-}, pi;{0}, eta and eta;{'}, based on 348 fb;{-1} of data collected with the BABAR detector, using B0 and B+ mesons found in the recoil of a second B meson decaying as B-->D;{(*)}lnu_{l}. Assuming isospin symmetry, we combine pionic branching fractions to obtain B(B;{0}-->pi;{-}l;{+}nu_{l})=(1.54+/-0.17_{(stat)}+/-0. 09_{(syst)})x10;{-4}; we find 3.2sigma evidence of the decay B;{+}-->etal;{+}nu_{l} and measure its branching fraction to be (0.64+/-0.20_{(stat)}+/-0. 03_{(syst)})x10;{-4}, and determine B(B;{+}-->eta;{'}l;{+}nu_{l})<0.47x10;{-4} to 90% confidence level. Using partial branching fractions for the pionic decays in ranges of the momentum transfer and a variety of form factor calculation, we obtain values of the magnitude of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V_{ub}| in ranging from 3.6x10;{-3} to 4.1x10;{-3}.
Current Practice of Peritoneal Dialysis in Children: Results of a Longitudinal Survey

Since 1993, the Mid European Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Study Group (MEPPS) has been accumulating epidemiological data regarding the practice of peritoneal dialysis (PD) in children. More than 200 children have been evaluated to date. While treatment modalities were evenly distributed in 1993, automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) has emerged as the preferred mode of therapy during the last few years. Technique survival was 95% at 2 years, but decreased to 65% after 4 years of treatment, the main reasons for treatment failure being recurrent peritonitis, ultrafiltration failure, or both. Most centers use double-cuff curled Tenckhoff catheters with an upward pointing exit site. The first catheter was still functioning in 82% of patients after 1 year, and in 57% of patients after 4 years of treatment. While the overall peritonitis incidence between 1993 and 1997 was 1 episode per 17 months, it was much higher in children below 6 years of age. Empirical PD prescription resulted in a mean total weekly creatinine clearance of 57 L/1.73 m2/week in both continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and APD patients, while average total weekly Kt/V urea was higher in APD-treated (2.45) than in CAPD-treated children (1.96). Antihypertensive treatment was required in 40%-50% of patients; oral phosphate binders in 75%-80%; bicarbonate substitution in 30%; potassium binders in 7%-14%; and NaCl supplementation in 9%-21% of patients. While growth retardation had a prevalence of 57%, body mass relative to height was in the normal range. After one year of dialysis, 20% of patients received growth hormone treatment. In conclusion, peritoneal dialysis in children, preferably performed as APD, achieves technique survival rates similar to those reported for adults. Young children are at increased risk for peritonitis. The current empirical PD prescription is of limited efficacy in terms of small-solute and fluid removal.
Embryo loss pattern is predominant in miscarriages with normal chromosome karyotype among women with repeated miscarriage.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess pregnancy loss patterns in women with repeated miscarriage (RM), according to fetal chromosome karyotypes and aetiologies of RM. METHODS In this cohort study, 168 fetal chromosome karyotypes of miscarriages were investigated. The pregnancy loss patterns were compared between 75 miscarriages from RM women who had a history of two or more consecutive miscarriages and 93 miscarriages from control women whose previous pregnancies ended in live births without a history of RM. By serial ultrasonography, embryo loss (EL) was defined as miscarriage before fetal heat movement was identified and fetal loss (FL) as miscarriage after fetal heat movement was identified. The EL rate was calculated as EL/(EL+FL). RESULTS The EL rate (66.7%) in miscarriages with normal karyotypes among RM women (n=42) was higher (P<0.05) than that (45.7%) in controls (n=46), while the EL rate (30.3%) in miscarriages with abnormal karyotypes among RM women (n=33) did not differ from that (25.5%) in the controls (n=47). The EL rate (71.4%) in miscarriages with normal karyotypes among unexplained RM women (n=21) was much higher (P<0.05) than that in the controls. CONCLUSIONS By evaluating fetal karyotypes, we demonstrated for the first time that EL was predominant in miscarriages with normal karyotype among RM women.
The Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules L1 and CHL1 Are Cleaved by BACE1 Protease in Vivo*

Background: The function and physiological substrates of BACE1 remain largely unknown. Results: Novel substrates for BACE1 were identified using large scale proteome analysis; L1 and CHL1 were validated in vivo. Conclusion: L1 and CHL1 are physiological substrates for BACE1. Significance: Identification of physiological substrates of BACE1 is important to understand its function and helps to predict potential side effects of BACE1 inhibitor drugs for Alzheimer disease. The β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme BACE1 is a prime drug target for Alzheimer disease. However, the function and the physiological substrates of BACE1 remain largely unknown. In this work, we took a quantitative proteomic approach to analyze the secretome of primary neurons after acute BACE1 inhibition, and we identified several novel substrate candidates for BACE1. Many of these molecules are involved in neuronal network formation in the developing nervous system. We selected the adhesion molecules L1 and CHL1, which are crucial for axonal guidance and maintenance of neural circuits, for further validation as BACE1 substrates. Using both genetic BACE1 knock-out and acute pharmacological BACE1 inhibition in mice and cell cultures, we show that L1 and CHL1 are cleaved by BACE1 under physiological conditions. The BACE1 cleavage sites at the membrane-proximal regions of L1 (between Tyr1086 and Glu1087) and CHL1 (between Gln1061 and Asp1062) were determined by mass spectrometry. This work provides molecular insights into the function and the pathways in which BACE1 is involved, and it will help to predict or interpret possible side effects of BACE1 inhibitor drugs in current clinical trials.
Prospective study of physical activity and risk of developing a stress fracture among preadolescent and adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVE To identify predictors of developing a stress fracture among adolescent girls during a 7-year period. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Adolescent girls living throughout the United States. PARTICIPANTS A total of 6831 girls aged 9 to 15 years at baseline in the Growing Up Today Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study. MAIN EXPOSURES Exposures were assessed by self-report questionnaires completed by adolescent girls in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003. The adolescent girls' history of stress fracture, including age when fracture occurred and site, were reported by their mothers, who are registered nurses, in 2004. Cox proportional hazards models were used in the analysis. Main Outcome Measure Incident stress fracture that occurred between 1997 and 2004. RESULTS During 7 years of follow-up, 267 girls (3.9%) developed a stress fracture. Independent of age, age at menarche, family history of fracture, and hours per week of low- and moderate-impact activity, hours per week of running (hazard ratio = 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.23), basketball (hazard ratio = 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.23), and cheerleading/gymnastics (hazard ratio = 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.22) were significant predictors of developing a stress fracture. No other type of high-impact activity was associated with an increased risk. CONCLUSION Girls who engage in running, basketball, cheerleading, or gymnastics should be encouraged to include varied training in lower-impact activities to decrease the cumulative amount of impact in order to minimize their risk of stress fractures.
Genetic analysis of osmotic adjustment in crop plants

Plant water deficit is a component of several different stresses, including drought, salinity and low temperature, which severely limit plant growth and crop productivity. Genetic modification of plants to allow growth and yield under unfavourable conditions is an important component of the solution to problems of environmental stress. While disagreement and even confusion may characterize some of the discussions on what constitutes a significant and an effective mechanism of drought resistance in crop plants, osmotic adjustment (OA) is receiving increasing recognition as a major mechanism. This paper starts with the review of OA functions, genetic variation and inheritance, and theories and principles involved in commonly used protocols for quantifying OA. Emphasis is placed on a summary of current molecular strategies and advances in the improvement of plant stress resistance through manipulating OA. They include a genetic engineering approach and a QTL mapping approach. Future promising strategies for improving drought resistance lie in molecular technology that allows genes or QTLs controlling OA to be tagged and isolated, these genes to be expressed in transgenic plants, and efficiency of breeding via marker-assisted selection to be improved. Aspects of QTL utilization in plant genetics, breeding and physiology and future research directions are discussed.
Measuring Individual Differences in Trait Sympathy: Instrument Construction and Validation

In 3 studies, I report on the construction and validation of a multifaceted, self-report measure of an individual's tendency to experience feelings of sorrow or concern for the suffering of others. The Trait Sympathy Scales (TSS) displayed solid properties of reliability (Studies 1–3), content validity (Study 1), factorial validity (Study 1), construct-related validity (Studies 1–3), convergent and discriminant validity (Study 2), as well as predictive validity (Study 3). Findings support the TSS as a sound instrument that offers several advantages over Davis's (1980) Empathic Concern subscale.
Knowing is Silver, Listening is Gold: On the importance and impact of feedback in IT-based innovation contests

IT-based innovation contests are making use of distributed knowledge of users and other external stakeholders to collect ideas or to let them develop innovations for new products and services. In addition, IT-based innovation contests increasingly offer functionalities to evaluate and comment the submissions of other participants. Whether this feedback proves to be useful to enhance the quality of submissions is examined in a field experiment. We use the theoretical perspective of absorptive capacity for a cluster analysis to identify relevance of feedback in form of comments, in comparison to relevance of participants‟ individual knowledge. The most important result indicates that listening to comments by other users can even overcome a lack of individual knowledge. The study strengthens first assumptions that the design element „community functionality‟ needs to be carefully designed and implemented when setting up an IT-based innovation contest.