Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analytic Evaluation and Experimental Validation of a Network-Based IPv6 Distributed Mobility Management Solution

Mobile Internet traffic is growing steeply, mainly due to the deployment of new broadband wireless technologies and the ever increasing connectivity demand coming from new services being available to mobile users. Current mobile network architectures rely on centralized mobility protocols which intrinsically pose enormous burdens on the central anchors, both in terms of connectivity needs and user mobility management. In order to face these issues, a new paradigm, called Distributed Mobility Management, is being explored, based on flattening the network architecture by deploying multiple mobility anchors at the edge of the network. In this article we conduct an analytic and experimental evaluation of a network-based IP distributed mobility management solution that leverages Proxy Mobile IPv6 protocol operations. We develop an analytic model of the signaling and packet delivery costs, as well as the handover latency of both Proxy Mobile IPv6 and our distributed solution. We have also implemented a Linux-based prototype of our proposal, which has been used to experimentally assess the handover latency in a real IEEE 802.11 scenario. Finally, we use the results obtained from the analytic and experimental performance to evaluate the benefits that could be achieved by deploying a distributed mobility management solution.
Polymer Functionalization as a Powerful Tool to Improve Scaffold Performances

To address the increasing need for improved tissue substitutes, tissue engineering seeks to create synthetic, three-dimensional scaffolds made from polymeric materials, incorporating cells and growth factors to induce new tissue formation. Materials science, in conjunction with biotechnology, can satisfy these needs by developing artificial, synthetic substitutes and organ implants. Here, scaffold ability to promote cell growth and differentiation is a key point and, in this framework, orthogonal chemistry has led the field of biomaterial science into a new area of selective, versatile and biocompatible nature. In particular, the possibility to modify and functionalize scaffolds with compounds that are able to improve mechanical properties or cell viability and improve their differentiation in a tailorable manner opens new opportunities for researchers. In this review, we seek to emphasize the recent endeavors of exploiting this versatile chemistry toward the development of new cell culture scaffolds.
Confirmation That Cytochrome P450 2C8 (CYP2C8) Plays a Minor Role in (S)-(+)- and (R)-(-)-Ibuprofen Hydroxylation in Vitro

Various groups have sought to determine the impact of CYP2C8 genotype (and CYP2C8 inhibition) on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of ibuprofen (IBU) enantiomers. However, the contribution of cytochrome P450 2C8 (CYP2C8) in human liver microsomes (HLMs) has not been reported. Therefore, in vitro cytochrome P450 (P450) reaction phenotyping was conducted with selective inhibitors of cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and CYP2C8. In the presence of HLMs, sulfaphenazole (CYP2C9 inhibitor), and anti-CYP2C9 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) inhibited (73–100%) the 2- and 3-hydroxylation of both IBU enantiomers (1 and 20 μM). At a higher IBU concentration (500 μM), the same inhibitors were less able to inhibit the 2-hydroxylation of (S)-(+)-IBU (32–52%) and (R)-(-)-IBU (30–64%), whereas the 3-hydroxylation of (S)-(+)-IBU and (R)-(-)-IBU was inhibited 66 to 83 and 70 to 89%, respectively. In contrast, less inhibition was observed with montelukast (CYP2C8 inhibitor, ≤35%) and anti-CYP2C8 mAbs (≤24%) at all concentrations of IBU. When (S)-(+)-IBU and (R)-(-)-IBU (1 μM) were incubated with a panel of recombinant human P450s, only CYP2C9 formed appreciable amounts of the hydroxy metabolites. At a higher IBU enantiomer concentration (500 μM), additional P450s catalyzed 2-hydroxylation (CYP3A4, CYP2C8, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP2B6) and 3-hydroxylation (CYP2C19). When the P450 reaction phenotype and additional clearance pathways are considered (e.g., direct glucuronidation and chiral inversion), it is concluded that CYP2C8 plays a minor role in (R)-(-)-IBU (<10%) and (S)-(+)-IBU (∼13%) clearance. By extension, one would not expect CYP2C8 inhibition (and genotype) to greatly affect the pharmacokinetic profile of either enantiomer. On the other hand, CYP2C9 inhibition and genotype are expected to have an impact on the PK of (S)-(+)-IBU.
Full Machine Translation for Factoid Question Answering

In this paper we present an SMT-based approach to Question Answering (QA). QA is the task of extracting exact answers in response to natural language questions. In our approach, the answer is a translation of the question obtained with an SMT system. We use the n-best translations of a given question to find similar sentences in the document collection that contain the real answer. Although it is not the first time that SMT inspires a QA system, it is the first approach that uses a full Machine Translation system for generating answers. Our approach is validated with the datasets of the TREC QA evaluation.
All-IP 4G Network architecture for efficient mobility and resource management

In this article, we investigate 4G network architecture and consider two underlying layers: PHY and MAC. We compare two models of wireless access network: pure all-IP and subnet based networks. The pure all-IP model is simple and cost-efficient but causes implementation issues of mobility management and resource coordination. In contrast, the subnet based network enables layer 2 and layer 3 handoffs to be executed independently, deploying several access points under an access router. Further, to handle various cases efficiently according to traffic class and mobility, we present an advanced model of a hierarchical cellular system that combines multiple access techniques of OFDMA and FH-OFDMA with microcells and macrocells. Finally, as an integrated approach to support diverse QoS requirements, we consider an IP-triggered resource allocation strategy (ITRAS) that exploits IntServ and DiffServ of the network layer to interwork with channel allocation and multiple access of MAC and PHY layers, respectively. These cross layer approaches shed light on designing a QoS support model in a 4G network that cannot be handled properly by a single layer based approach
Adaptive Video Streaming over OpenFlow Networks with Quality of Service by

Multimedia streaming applications have stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements which cannot be always met by the best-effort Internet. To provide QoS, several QoS architectures have been explored over last two decades, but none of them has been truly successful and globally implemented. This thesis presents a novel QoS architecture for multimedia streaming based on OpenFlow, a Software Defined Networking (SDN) paradigm that has already attracted many commercial vendors and recently being deployed throughout the world. We leverage off OpenFlow’s enhanced network control capabilities to deliver multimedia with QoS. On top of OpenFlow, we propose an optimization framework for dynamic QoS routing which fulfills the required end-to-end QoS by dynamically optimizing the routes of the multimedia traffic. Our extensive simulation results show that the proposed architecture and the optimization framework on routing significantly improve the QoS of the multimedia streaming compared to traditional shortest path routing in the Internet. In addition, we extend our framework for large scale multi-domain OpenFlow networks. We propose a distributed control plane architecture and present new methods for dynamic inter-domain QoS routing by addressing the messaging between OpenFlow controllers and the network scalability. We show that the proposed solution to the distributed routing closely approaches the globally optimal routing and nicely scales to large networks. We also implement a controller software to demonstrate the performance of our approach over a real OpenFlow network deployed in our campus. Our experimental results on the real network acknowledge our simulation results and show that we can guarantee seamless video delivery with little or no video artifacts experienced by the end users.
Do Pictures of Faces, and Which Ones, Capture Attention in the Inattentional-Blindness Paradigm?

Faces and self-referential material (eg one's own name) are more likely to capture attention in the inattentional-blindness (IB) paradigm than other stimuli. This effect is presumably due to the meaning of these stimuli rather than to their familiarity [Mack and Rock, 1998 Inattentional Blindness (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press)]. In previous work, IB has been investigated mostly with schematic stimuli. In the present study, the generalisability of this finding was tested with photographic stimuli. In support of the view that faces constitute a special category of stimuli, pictures of faces were found to resist more to IB than pictures of common objects (experiment 1) or than pictures of inverted faces (experiment 2). In a third experiment, the influence of face familiarity and identity (the participant's own face, a friend's face, and an unknown face) on IB rates was evaluated. Unexpectedly, no differential resistence to blindness across these three kinds of faces was found. In conclusion, pictures of faces attracted attention more than pictures of objects or inverted faces in the IB paradigm. However, this effect was not dependent on face familiarity or identity.
Mobile Learning Design: The LTCS Model

As technology becomes more portable, Mobile Learning (mLearning) has been a powerful trend in teaching, learning and training. With the help of Cloud Computing, mLearning overcomes obstacles related to mobile computing and holds considerable promise for future development and delivery in the education sector. This paper proposes a comprehensive model, Location, Technology, Culture, and Satisfaction (LTCS), for mLearning design. Principles derived from this model can be used to guide effective mLearning design.
Npas4 Transcription Factor Expression Is Regulated by Calcium Signaling Pathways and Prevents Tacrolimus-induced Cytotoxicity in Pancreatic Beta Cells*

Cytosolic calcium influx activates signaling pathways known to support pancreatic beta cell function and survival by modulating gene expression. Impaired calcium signaling leads to decreased beta cell mass and diabetes. To appreciate the causes of these cytotoxic perturbations, a more detailed understanding of the relevant signaling pathways and their respective gene targets is required. In this study, we examined the calcium-induced expression of the cytoprotective beta cell transcription factor Npas4. Pharmacological inhibition implicated the calcineurin, Akt/protein kinase B, and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase signaling pathways in the regulation of Npas4 transcription and translation. Both Npas4 mRNA and protein had high turnover rates, and, at the protein level, degradation was mediated via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Finally, beta cell cytotoxicity of the calcineurin inhibitor and immunosuppressant tacrolimus (FK-506) was prevented by Npas4 overexpression. These results delineate the pathways regulating Npas4 expression and stability and demonstrate its importance in clinical settings such as islet transplantation.
Discovery of critical Tol A‐binding residues in the bactericidal toxin colicin N: a biophysical approach

Colicins translocate across the Escherichia coli outer membrane and periplasm by interacting with several receptors. After first binding to outer membrane surface receptors via their central region, they interact with TolA or TonB proteins via their N‐terminal regions. Finally, the toxic C‐terminal region is inserted into or across the cytoplasmic membrane. We have measured the binding of colicin N to TolA by isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC) and tryptophan fluorescence. The isolated N‐terminal domain exhibits a higher affinity for TolA (Kd = 1 μM) than does the whole colicin (18 μM), and similar behaviour has been observed when the N‐terminal domain of the g3p protein of the bacteriophage fd, which also binds TolA, is examined in isolation and in situ. This may indicate a similar mechanism in which a cryptic TolA binding site is revealed after primary receptor binding. The isolated colicin N N‐terminal domain appears to be unstructured in circular dichroism and fluorescence studies. We have used mutagenesis and ITC to characterize the TolA binding site and have shown it to be of a different sequence and much further from the N‐terminus than previously thought.
Peptides Interfering 3A Protein Dimerization Decrease FMDV Multiplication

Nonstructural protein 3A is involved in relevant functions in foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) replication. FMDV 3A can form homodimers and preservation of the two hydrophobic α-helices (α1 and α2) that stabilize the dimer interface is essential for virus replication. In this work, small peptides mimicking residues involved in the dimer interface were used to interfere with dimerization and thus gain insight on its biological function. The dimer interface peptides α1, α2 and that spanning the two hydrophobic α-helices, α12, impaired in vitro dimer formation of a peptide containing the two α-helices, this effect being higher with peptide α12. To assess the effect of dimer inhibition in cultured cells, the interfering peptides were N-terminally fused to a heptaarginine (R7) sequence to favor their intracellular translocation. Thus, when fused to R7, interference peptides (100 μM) were able to inhibit dimerization of transiently expressed 3A, the higher inhibitions being found with peptides α1 and α12. The 3A dimerization impairment exerted by the peptides correlated with significant, specific reductions in the viral yield recovered from peptide-treated FMDV infected cells. In this case, α2 was the only peptide producing significant reductions at concentrations lower than 100 μM. Thus, dimer interface peptides constitute a tool to understand the structure-function relationship of this viral protein and point to 3A dimerization as a potential antiviral target.
Encoder-Decoder Optimization for Brain-Computer Interfaces

Neuroprosthetic brain-computer interfaces are systems that decode neural activity into useful control signals for effectors, such as a cursor on a computer screen. It has long been recognized that both the user and decoding system can adapt to increase the accuracy of the end effector. Co-adaptation is the process whereby a user learns to control the system in conjunction with the decoder adapting to learn the user's neural patterns. We provide a mathematical framework for co-adaptation and relate co-adaptation to the joint optimization of the user's control scheme ("encoding model") and the decoding algorithm's parameters. When the assumptions of that framework are respected, co-adaptation cannot yield better performance than that obtainable by an optimal initial choice of fixed decoder, coupled with optimal user learning. For a specific case, we provide numerical methods to obtain such an optimized decoder. We demonstrate our approach in a model brain-computer interface system using an online prosthesis simulator, a simple human-in-the-loop pyschophysics setup which provides a non-invasive simulation of the BCI setting. These experiments support two claims: that users can learn encoders matched to fixed, optimal decoders and that, once learned, our approach yields expected performance advantages.
Transferrin Trojan Horses as a Rational Approach for the Biological Delivery of Therapeutic Peptide Domains*

One novel approach for the biological delivery of peptide drugs is to incorporate the sequence of the peptide into the structure of a natural transport protein, such as human serum transferrin. To examine whether this is feasible, a peptide sequence cleavable by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease (VSQNYPIVL) was inserted into various regions of human serum transferrin, and the resultant proteins were tested for function. Experimentally, molecular modeling was used to identify five candidate insertion sites in surface exposed loops of human serum transferrin that were distant from biologically active domains. These insertions were cloned using polymerase chain reaction mutagenesis, and the proteins were expressed using a baculovirus expression vector system. Analysis of the mutant proteins provided a number of important findings: (a) they retained native human serum transferrin function, (b) the inserted peptide sequence was surface exposed, and most importantly, (c) two of these mutants could be cleaved by human immunodeficiency virus-1 protease. In conclusion, this investigation has validated the use of human serum transferrin as a carrier protein for functional peptide domains introduced into its structure using protein engineering. These findings will be useful for developing a novel class of therapeutic agents for a broad spectrum of diseases.
Scalable locality-aware event dispatching mechanism for network servers

Network servers often need to process a large amount of network events asynchronously. They usually use select() or poll() to retrieve events from file descriptors. However, previous researches have shown that these system calls scale poorly when the number of open connections is significantly increased. Several kernel-level solutions have been proposed. In the paper, the authors first compare several event-dispatching mechanisms available under Linux, and then present their user-level solution, which takes advantage of temporal locality among events while polling. They show that a memory-based Web server with their approach can have about 20-30% performance improvement.
Ethnomedicines for the development of anti-herpesvirus agents

The Herpesviruses are important human pathogens that can cause mild to severe lifelong infections with high morbidity. Moreover, Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) has been reported to be responsible for increased transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and progression of AIDS. Therefore, the discovery of novel anti-herpesvirus drugs deserves great efforts. Ethnomedicines have been used as source of candidate drugs in many diseases, but the development of antivirals from natural sources is less explored probably because there are a very few specific viral targets for the natural molecules to interact with. The nucleoside analog acyclovir, a widely used antiherpes drug, unable to cure the life long or recurrent infections and often leads to the development of viral resistance coupled with the side effects, recurrence and viral latency. On the other hand, a wide array of herbal medicaments of many medicinal system have shown high levels of antiherpes virus activities, and many of them Correspondence/Reprint request: Dr. Debprasad Chattopadhyay, Fellow, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (England), Assistant Director, ICMR Virus Unit, I.D. & B.G. Hospital Campus, General Block: 4, First floor, 57, Dr. Suresh C. Banerjee Road, Beliaghata, Kolkata 700 010, India. E-mail: debprasadc@yahoo.co.in Debprasad Chattopadhyay et al. 118 have complementary or overlapping mechanisms of action, either inhibiting viral entry, replication, viral genome synthesis, maturation or assembly. This review will summarize some of those promising plant extracts and isolated compounds, with proven in vitro and documented in vivo anti-herpesvirus activities.
A Novel Time and Energy Efficient Cubing Circuit Using Vedic Mathematics for Finite Field Arithmetic

Cubing plays a vital role in secure communication systems, Signal Processing Applications, Finite Field Arithmetic etc. As the radix of the number used for cubing increases the process gets complicated which in turn increases the delay and power consumption. Vedic mathematics is an ancient mathematics concept that provides a fast and a reliable approach to perform arithmetic operations using sixteen Sutras or word- formulae. In this paper the Anurupya Vedic sutra is used for cubing operations with two different multiplier architectures - One array structured and one tree structure. The performance of these multipliers for cubing applications is compared on the basis of their delay, power consumption and area utilization and it is proved that Anurupya Sutra improves the performance tremendously
The benefits of theory for clinical practice: Cognitive treatment for chronic low back pain patients as an illustrative example

Purpose. To demonstrate, with the help of an example of cognitive treatment for patients with chronic low back pain, how a systematic description of the content and theoretical underpinnings of treatment can help to improve clinical practice. Methods. A conceptual analysis, two types of theories, and a programme-theory framework were instrumental in systematically specifying the content of the treatment and the underlying assumptions. Results. A detailed description of the cognitive treatment, including: (i) The intended outcomes; (ii) the related treatment components; (iii) the therapeutic process that is expected to mediate between outcomes and components, (iv) the conditions for optimal application; and (v) the guiding principles. Conclusions. The systematic description of the treatment revealed important issues for clinical practice, such as the patient and therapist characteristics that are needed for optimal provision of cognitive treatment. The discussions on the role of theory in rehabilitation practice are taken one step further in this clinical commentary: instead of simply describing the problems, we also demonstrated a means to tackle them.
Ceramide increases mitochondrial free calcium levels via caspase 8 and Bid: role in initiation of cell death

We investigated how the mitochondrial phase of ceramide‐mediated cell death is initiated in nerve growth factor (NGF)‐differentiated PC12 cells. We distinguished three independent effects of ceramide: free radical production; a transient increase in cytosolic free calcium; and a long‐lasting increase in mitochondrial free calcium. Only the latter led to cell death, which could be prevented by buffering of mitochondrial calcium with the calcium binding protein calbindin D‐28K ectopically expressed in mitochondria. We showed that mitochondrial calcium did not increase as a result of the increase in cytosolic free calcium levels. Rather, it appears to derive from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) since dantrolene, which inhibits release of calcium from ER into cytosol through ryanodine receptors, prevented the increase in cytosolic free calcium but potentiated the increase in mitochondrial free calcium. This suggests that a transfer of calcium occurs directly, or very locally, between the two organelles. This transfer implicated activation of caspase 8 and cleavage of its substrate Bid, a previously unknown function of these cell death intermediaries. The increase in mitochondrial free calcium was also responsible for the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, underlining the critical role it plays in ceramide‐mediated cell death.